HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team picked up a four-set victory against Arkansas-Fort Smith Saturday afternoon (Oct. 18), winning 20-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-19. The Tigers (14-7, 3-6 MIAA) posted a .247 attack percentage and racked up 10 blocks while the Lions (13-8, 3-5 MIAA) recorded a swing rate of .166.
 
The Tigers raced out to a big early lead, scoring six of the first seven points to quickly lead by five. The visitors answered with five-straight to tie the score at six, but the Tigers were able to stay on top and later led by as many as four, 16-12. The Lions then answered with another 5-0 run to take their first lead at 17-16. FHSU tied the score at 17 but played from behind the rest of the way, eventually dropping the set by five despite recording one more kill than the Lions in the frame.
 
Fort Hays State got out to another good start in the second set, leading 5-2 and later 10-4. The Tigers maintained their lead for much of the set, later leading by as many as eight, 21-13. The Lions had one final push in them, scoring five in a row to narrow the gap to three, but FHSU responded with the final four points to even the match at one set apiece.
 
The theme continued in the third, with FHSU quickly leading 5-1 thanks in part to an Annie Eaton service ace. The Tigers led 10-8 later in the frame before UAFS scored four in a row to flip the script. The Lions later led by as many as five, 21-16, before the Tigers mounted their rally. Kills from Ashlyn Reeves and Gracie Rains and a pair of UAFS miscues helped the Tigers narrow the gap to one, 21-20.
 
More kills from Rains later helped the Tigers tie things at 23 and again at 24, fending off set point. Rains then gave the Tigers a 25-24 lead with her 11th kill of the match before a Lion error handed the Tigers the two-point victory.
 
After tallying five kills in both the second and third sets, Rains upped that total with six in the fourth to help the Tigers complete the victory. The teams traded points early before FHSU built a three-point lead at 9-6. A combo block from Reeves and Peyton Bergschneider extended the lead to six, 18-12, before the visitors used a 6-2 run to claw within two, 20-18.
 
Multiple Lion errors followed by a Bergschneider service ace helped the Tigers reach match point with four-consecutive scores before Rains finished things off with her team-best 17th kill of the day.
 
The senior recorded just three errors, posting a swing rate of .519. Ella Goodwin added 10 kills and two blocks, while Reeves tallied nine kills and five blocks (one solo). Carsyn Cormaney contributed six kills and four blocks, while Abrey Galt tossed up 26 assists alongside 12 digs. Eaton added 22 assists and one ace, while Bergschneider led the team with 17 digs along with five kills and three blocks.
 
The Tigers will return to action one week from today (Oct. 25) when they host fifth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney beginning at 3 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.