Box Score

The Tiger volleyball team moved to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA with a straight-set win at Pittsburg State on Saturday (Sept. 15). Fort Hays State pulled out two tight sets by scores of 26-24 and 28-26 to take a commanding two-set lead, then put away the Gorillas with a 25-18 victory in the third.

The Tigers jumped out to a commanding 7-1 lead in the first set and led 14-7 before the Gorillas began chipping away at the comfortible lead. Pitt State went on a four-point run to tie the score at 18-18. The teams traded points back and forth all the way to 24-24 before kills by Kayla Zoglman and Madison Schwartz sealed the set for FHSU.

The roles reversed in the second set as Pittsburg State built a commanding six-point lead at 17-11. Trailing 21-17, the Tigers went on a six-point run to take a 23-21 lead late, but the Gorillas fought to win the next two points to tie the set at 23 all. The teams traded points to a 26-26 tie, then Jenna Ulrich and Kayla Zoglman teamed up for a block and Madison Schwartz picked up her second set-clinching kill to give the Tigers a two-set cushion in the match.

The third set was tight early until the Tigers went on a seven-point run from an 8-8 tie to build a 15-8 lead. The Tigers cruised from that point to dispatch the Gorillas in three sets.

Kylee Hoagland had six of her team-high 11 kills in the second set. Jenna Ulrich also reached double figures in kills with 10. Madison Schwartz added nine. Kayla Zoglman averaged 12 assists per set to finish with 36 for the match. Makenzie Weinman averaged just over seven digs per set for a team-high 22 in the match.

The Tigers did very well on defense with 78 digs in the match, averaging 26 per set. Four Tigers produced double figures in digs, with Tara Hoekman (18), Zoglman (15), and Schwartz (12) joining Weinman. They also had 11 blocks, led by Hoagland with two solo and four assists and Ulrich with two solo and two assists.

Fort Hays State looks to make it three in a row on the road when it travels to Northwest Missouri State on Wednesday (Sept. 19) this coming week. The Tigers are sitting in good shape, currently fifth in the MIAA standings as of Saturday afternoon. Northwest Missouri State entered its match with Missouri Southern on Saturday at 2-0 in the conference and 6-3 overall.