In a closely-contest match to open the season, Fort Hays State battled, but came up short in a 3-1 (26-28, 25-22, 25-23, 25-14) contest at Chaminade University. The Tigers (0-1) dropped the contest after hitting just .068 as a team, compared to a .221 hitting percentage by CU (2-1).
Taylor Mares led the team with nine kills, while Madison Schwartz and Haley Corkill each had seven. Kelsey Broadwell had 17 assists to lead FHSU, closely followed by Libby Ary’s 15.
On the defensive side, Makenzie Weinman dug out 12 attacks and Jenna Ulrich assisted with five blocks. Camille Hubert was second on the squad with 9 digs.
Down 0-2 to start the game one, FHSU rallied to take a 5-2 lead, keyed during the run by Ulrich’s two kills and two aces by Sara Hewson. CU would tie the game at seven, but another offensive spark gave the Tigers an 11-7 lead.
After a timeout with score tied at 11, the Tigers took a 15-11 lead, but couldn’t pull away, relinquishing the lead at 22-21. From there, the teams would trade points until 26-26, when Schwartz broke the stalemate with a kill, and a block by Ulrich clinched the game, 28-26.
In game two, FHSU would jump out to a 2-0 lead, but couldn’t hold the advantage for long, allowing CU to take a 5-3 lead. The Tigers, however, used a 7-2 run to take a 10-7 lead, including a stretch of three unanswered points.
Down 18-16, a kill by Mares and block by Ulrich and Schwartz tied the match up, setting the stage for another close finish. CU would attempt to pull away with a 21-19 lead, but FHSU would not go away, eventually tying the game at 22. The Silver Swords, however, would take the game, 25-22.
Coming out of intermission, FHSU fell behind 5-3, but the score would be tied five more times (at 5, 7, 9, 10, 13) before FHSU took a 14-13 lead. The back-and-forth contest saw FHSU take an 18-16 lead and hold the two-point advantage until 21-19, when CU went on a 5-1 run to take a 24-22 lead. FHSU would pull within one, but were unable to rally further, falling 25-23.
Needing to win the final two games to clinch the match, FHSU couldn’t find a rhythm in the fourth frame, and dropped the contest, 25-14.
The Tigers will take on No. 5 BYU-Hawaii tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. HT (12:30 a.m. CT). The game will be played in Laie, Hawaii, at the Cannon Activities Center.
— FHSU Sports Information —