Fort Hays State University’s comeback fell short on Friday, as the Tigers dropped a 3-1 (25-23, 26-24, 21-25, 29-27) contest to Lindenwood on the road.
FHSU (6-12, 1-7 MIAA) dropped the first two sets, but after taking set three, couldn’t hold its fourth set lead over LU (6-13, 3-3 MIAA).
Sara Hewson and Madison Schwartz each finished with 13 kills for the night, while Jenna Ulrich had seven blocks and 10 kills. Taylor Mares added 11 kills.
Makenzie Weinman dug out 19 attacks, leading a team that had 77 total digs for the night.
Libby Ary (28 assists) and Raegan Vanderplas (24 assists) split time at setter for the Tigers.
Down 7-16 in the first set, FHSU rallied with a 7-1 run to put the score at 14-17. The Tigers kept the deficit around three until 24-21, when a quick 2-0 run had FHSU one point from forcing a win-by-two situation. Lindenwood, though, would take the set, 25-23.
Hewson and Flagor each had four kills in the set, while Vanderplas seven assists and five digs led the team. Hewson and Samantha Ledy had service aces in the opening set.
After leading 6-4 in the second stanza, a substitution infraction on FHSU reset the score to a 5-4 Lindenwood advantage, which the Lions would hold until late in the set. Down 19-16, FHSU went on a 4-1 run to tie the match, 20-all. The teams would tie on two other occasions before 24-24, when a two-point run for LU closed out the set, 26-24.
Needing to win the third stanza to extend the match, FHSU would fall behind, 9-5, in the opening minutes. The Tigers, however, used a 10-3 run (including six unanswered at the close of the run) to take and stretch the lead to 15-11.
After allowing the Lions back within two (15-13), FHSU rattled off a burst of four unanswered points, giving the team a 19-13 advantage. LU would again rally, this time to 21-19. Still, the Tigers hung tough and took the third set, 25-21.
Flagor and Hewson again led the way in the third set, as each had five kills and pushed their match totals to 10. Libby Ary and Vanderplas would split time at the setter role in the set, throwing up seven and eight assists, respectively. Ulrich’s four blocks (one solo) in the set were a team best as well.
After fighting off elimination in the third set, the Tigers roared out to a 9-3 lead in the fourth. After FHSU increased its lead to 10 (16-6), LU went on a 6-1 run that forced a Tiger timeout and brought the Lions within striking distance. FHSU couldn’t break the LU attack, as the Lions tied the set at 22-22, and set up a set point, 24-23. FHSU, though, wouldn’t go away, using kills by Schwartz and Ledy to gain a 25-24 advantage in the win-by-two scenario. Both teams traded points until two straight kills gave LU the match.
The Tigers are in action tomorrow in a doubleheader against Lindenwood-Belleville, beginning at 11 a.m., in Belleville, Ill.
— FHSU Sports Information —