The Fort Hays State volleyball team hosted MIAA rival Pittsburg State on Sunday (Oct. 9) at Gross Memorial Coliseum. After rallying from behind on two separate occasions, the Tigers could not hold off a fifth-set run from the Gorillas which gave them the 3-2 victory.

The match was very balanced, and the second five-setter that the teams have played this season. Fort Hays State outhit Pitt State .183 to .143 and had 113 digs to the Gorillas 109, but they were done in by errors on the serve and on blocks. The Tigers committed 11 service errors to just two for Pitt State and also had five blocking errors.

Pittsburg State took the first set 25-22 before FHSU rebounded and took the second set by the same score. The teams traded the third and fourth sets as well, with Pitt taking the third 25-19 and FHSU getting the fourth 25-16. The Tigers then rode the momentum into the fifth set, taking an 11-4 advantage and they appeared on the way to their second MIAA win of the season.

Pitt State came roaring back following a timeout, and they used three attack errors by FHSU and two kills of their own to cut the lead to 12-10, causing Fort Hays State to call a timeout. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the momentum had already swung and they were unable to get it stopped, with Pitt quickly tying the set up at 12-12 after two more Tiger attack errors. Sara Hewson got a kill to put the Tigers up 13-12, but Pitt got back-to-back kills from Morgan Voorhes to take their first lead of the set at 14-13. A kill from Jenna Ulrich helped the Tigers stay alive, but the Gorillas scored the next two points and won the set 16-14 and the match 3-2.

Four Tigers put down double figure kills, led by Kylee Hoagland with 18 and Hewson with 17. Ulrich was close behind with 14 and Madison Schwartz who had 11. Tracie Hileman the Tigers with 33 digs while Makenzie Weinman added 28. Kayla Zoglman had 61 assists to lead the Tigers and Ulrich had a team-high eight blocks (one solo, seven assist).

Voorhes led the Gorillas with 13 kills and Christa McCaw had a team-high 33 digs.

Fort Hays State drops to 12-9 on the year and 1-6 in the MIAA. They will play at home again on Friday (Oct. 14) against Missouri Western in a match starting at 7:00 pm.

– FHSU Sports Information –