Box Score

The Fort Hays State volleyball team snapped a 13-match winless streak against Emporia State, defeating the Hornets in four sets, 3-1 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. The Tigers upped their record to 13-6 and 3-3 in the MIAA, while ESU dropped to 9-6 and 3-3 in the MIAA.
 
The Tigers took control of the match early, winning sets one and two (25-23 and 25-18). After falling behind 1-0 in set one, FHSU won nine straight puts to take a 9-1 lead.  The Tigers pulled out to a commanding 17-9 advantage, however, the Hornets put up seven straight points for a 17-16 score. The Tigers pushed back, scoring three points on kills by Mallory Flagor and Jenna Ulrich. Up 20-16, the Tigers closed out set one with kills by Ulrich, Taylor Mares and Kylee Hoagland to win 25-23.
 
In set two with the score tied at 13-13, the Tigers won five of the next six points for an 18-14 lead. After a kill by Ulrich and two Hornet errors, FHSU closed set two with four kills. Mares put down the last two for the Tigers to take set two, 25-18. The Tigers played superb in set two, hitting .279 with 18 kills on 43 total attacks, their best numbers of the four sets.
 
With the score tied 10-10 in set three, the Hornets pulled away and did not let the Tigers get back into the set as FHSU trailed the rest of the way. With the set still close at 20-18 ESU, the Hornets went on a run with five straight kills to win set three 25-18.
 
After a 5-5 tie in set four, the Tigers led the rest of the way in the 25-20 set win. With a 15-10 Tiger advantage, the Hornets tried to close the gap, scoring three straight for a 15-13 score, but FHSU scored five of the next six points for a 20-14 lead. With the score 20-17, Mares got the next two Tiger points on kills. After ESU closed to 23-20, Schwartz pushed the match to match point with a kill. A Hornet error gave the Tigers the set, 25-20, and the match.
 
Ulrich had a monster performance in the middle. The middle hitter totaled a match-high 18 kills and hit a match-high .600, which is second-best this season to Hoagland's .609 against UCO. In 30 attacking attempts, Ulrich had zero errors. She added five blocks and two digs. Also in double figures in kills were Mares (14), Hoagland (12) and Schwartz (10). Makenzie Weinman led the Tigers with 18 digs, and Kayla Zoglman added 15 digs. Zoglman had a team-high and season-high 51 assists. Zoglman finished with a double-doubie in assists and digs and Schwartz finished with a double-double in kills and digs.
 
The win ended a 13-match streak that started in 2005 when ESU won a five-set match against the Tigers. The last FHSU win came in 2004. FHSU defeated ESU, 3-0, in the Tigers' home opener that season. The streak included 12 MIAA conference wins in a row for ESU, and the win is the first MIAA win against the Hornets for FHSU.
 
The Tigers return to action next weekend at the Southwest Baptist Tourament on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 5 and 6) in Bolivar, Mo.