Box Score
Box Score

The Fort Hays State volleyball team built an early two-set lead against No. 7 Central Missouri on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 22), but were unable to finish the Jennies off and fell in five sets: 25-22, 32-30, 19-25, 26-28, 9-15.

After falling behind 2-0 to start the first set, the Tigers settled down and the teams traded points early in the set. Fort Hays State took a lead of 9-7 on a kill by Kylee Hoagland which caused Central Missouri to take a timeout and regroup. The set stayed close throughout with neither team taking a lead of more than three points. Fort Hays State got a kill from Yadira Jacquez to take a 22-19 lead, and the teams would trade points for the remainder of the set. The Tigers finally won the set 25-22 after a hitting error by Allie Huffman of the Jennies.

The second set was an all-out battle from the outset and the teams would be tied at 16 different points in the set. A score of 25 would not be sufficient for the set to be decided and the teams would tie at every point from 25 to 30, with Fort Hays State eventually pulling ahead and taking the set 32-30 after a kill by Jenna Ulrich and a hitting error by Central Missouri. Ulrich had 10 kills in the second set alone while the team put down 22.

With a two-set lead, the Tigers would not relax, however the Jennies turned up the heat and proved why they are the No. 7 team in NCAA Division II. Central Missouri hit .304 in the third set and committed just four hitting errors and rolled to a 25-19 set win. The set was tied at 16-16 after a service error by Madison Schwartz, but a 5-2 run by the Jennies put the set out of reach.

The fourth set was another battle going past 25, with the Jennies taking it 28-26. Central Missouri once again only committed four hitting errors in the set and hit .239 to help them tie the match. Allie Huffman put down seven kills and Paula Harris six in the fourth set, which set the stage for a showdown in the final set.

Central Missouri had the momentum on their side going into the fifth set and they used it to their advantage, jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead before FHSU got on the board with a kill by Jacquez. The Tigers would not be able to get closer than two points the rest of the way as the Jennies finished off the match with a 15-9 set win.

Ulrich and Jacquez both had season highs with 21 and 17 kills, respectively. Hoagland had 14 and Schwartz added 13 for the Tigers who hit .179 as a team. Five Tigers topped the 10-dig mark, led by Tracie Hileman with 33 and Makenzie Weinman who had 19. Kayla Zoglman had 63 assists for the Tigers and Ulrich had seven blocks (three solo, four assist) to pace the team.

Fort Hays State drops to 13-12 (2-9 MIAA) on the year and will play their final non-conference match of the season on Tuesday (Oct. 25) at Panhandle State in a match starting at 6:00 pm.