Fort Hays State University fell behind early and couldn’t recover in a 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-14) loss to Hawaii-Hilo on Monday evening in Hilo, Hawaii.
The Tigers (0-5) struggled on offense, hitting .070 as a team, compared to UHH’s (5-0) hitting percentage of .287.
Sara Hewson would provide a bright spot for FHSU, as she blasted a season-high 12 kills (hitting .312) while adding nine digs, close behind team leader Makenzie Weinman, who had 12 digs. Libby Ary would assist in 11 kills, and Kelsey Broadwell had eight.
After falling behind 0-4 to start the match, FHSU answered back on a 4-3 run to pull within three (7-4). From there, HHU would pull ahead 11-5, but a quick three-point run put FHSU right back in the mix. That, however, was short-lived, as HHU tore off on a 10-1 run (including a seven-point unanswered streak) to run away for good, winning the set, 25-11.
FHSU hit .000 in the first game, as the Vulcans’ Callie Aberle dug out seven attacks and the Tigers had seven attack errors. Schwartz led the team with three kills in the set, while Hewson had two kills and four digs.
Looking to rebound in game two, FHSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead, helped by two Hewson kills. They would hold the lead until HHU tied it up, 5-5. The teams would trade points during the next four rallies, before HHU rattled off two unanswered, only to be answered by a four-point Tiger comeback.
With the score sitting at 11-11, FHSU took advantage of two HHU errors and Mares kill to pull ahead by three, only to see the Vulcans tie it again, 16-16, then take an 18-16 advantage. The Tigers would not go away, pulling within one at 19-20. From there, HHU jumped out to lead by three (22-19) before an FHSU timeout. The Tigers would force a side-out at 23-20, but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 25-20.
The Tigers would raise their hitting percentage above .000 in the second match, using 14 team kills (including five from Hewson), to head into the third set hitting .068. Ary would have five assists in the second frame, while Weinman increased her digs to eight with six in the set.
FHSU would never lead in the third, with a 2-1 deficit being as close as the Tigers would come. With the score at 7-5, Hilo used a five-point run to pull ahead by seven (12-5), putting FHSU in an insurmountable hole. The Tigers fell in game three, 25-14.
The Tigers return home from their Hawaii trip next Thursday, and will compete again on Tuesday, Sept. 17, against Nebraska-Kearney at 7 p.m. in Kearney, Neb.
— FHSU Sports Information —