Fort Hays State Volleyball (8-1) at
Missouri Southern (2-9)
Friday, September 27 • 6 p.m.
Joplin, Mo. • Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
 
at Central Missouri (4-5)
Saturday, September 28 • 6 p.m.
Warrensburg, Mo. • Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center
 
The Fort Hays State volleyball team opens conference play this weekend (Sept. 28-29) with a pair of road games at Missouri Southern and Central Missouri. The Tigers will battle the Lions Friday in Joplin before taking on the Jennies Saturday in Warrensburg. First serve in each match is set for 6 p.m.
 
Tickets
Tickets for the Missouri Southern match will be available at the door at a cost of $5. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge.
 
Tickets can be purchased in advance for the Central Missouri contest here. Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for seniors.
 
Game Coverage
Live video will be available for both matches via The MIAA Network on a pay-per-view basis. Fans can purchase access to a single broadcast for $20, a monthly recurring subscription for $30 and a year-long MIAA Network All-Access pass for $140.
 
Live stats on Friday will be available here, while live stats for Saturday's contest will be available here.
 
Facts and Figures
The Tigers have averaged 2.23 blocks per set through non-conference play, fourth-best in the MIAA and ranking 51st in Division II. Both Ashlyn Reeves and Taytum Lovesee are averaging more than one block per frame, making FHSU one of two conference teams with multiple players recording more than one block per set.
 
Gracie Rains is leading the Tigers with an average of 3.74 kills per set, second-best in the league. She has at least 10 kills in all nine matches, including six contests with 15 or more kills and two matches with at least 20 kills.
 
Kirsten Evans' 19 service aces are fourth-most in the MIAA, while the libero ranks eighth in the conference with an average of 4.31 digs per set.
 
Caiya Stucky is averaging 8.27 assists per set, sixth-most in the league. She ranks second on the team with 12 service aces, making her one of 18 players in the league with double digit aces so far this season.
 
Grace Schmedding is averaging 2.71 kills and 2.15 digs per set. The freshman leads the Tigers with three double-doubles on the year.
 
MIAA Opener
Friday's contest is the first MIAA match of the season for both the Tigers and Lions. Fort Hays State is 2-15 in league openers since joining the conference in 2006, with the last win coming in 2009.
 
Scouting the Opposition
Missouri Southern is 2-9 so far this season, with both wins coming last weekend in Bolivar. The Lions defeated Ouachita Baptist and Truman State, both in five sets, while losing to Southwest Baptist in four. Kyla Randall leads the MIAA and ranks seventh nationally with an average of 5.85 digs per set, while the Lions as a team rank 15th in DII with an average of 18.23 digs per frame.
 
Central Missouri enters conference play with a record of 4-5, including a 1-0 mark in home matches. The Jennies rank 10th out of 12 MIAA programs with an attack percentage of .182. Elinor Engel ranks third in the league with 4.11 points per set, averaging 3.58 kills and 0.81 blocks per frame.

Series History
Fort Hays State is 32-34 all-time against Missouri Southern. The Lions swept the season series last year, while FHSU won both meetings in both 2021 and 2022. The Tigers are 6-3 against MSSU during the Jessica Wood-Atkins era.
 
The Tigers are 3-35 all-time against Central Missouri, including a five-set win over the Jennies last year in Hays. FHSU is 1-8 against the Jennies under Wood-Atkins.