TOPEKA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team dropped two matches Saturday afternoon inside Lee Arena on the campus of Washburn University. The Tigers were unable to stop the Ichabods in the opener, falling in three sets against Washburn before losing a four-set match against Oklahoma Baptist. The Tigers dip to 10-18 overall and 2-11 in conference play, while Washburn moves to 16-10 (7-7 MIAA) and the Bison are now 15-11.
Washburn 3, Fort Hays State 0 (19-25, 24-26, 17-25)
The Tigers had their chances in the opening match of the day, but a strong Washburn team rallied at opportune times to secure a sweep of FHSU. Fort Hays State managed a .145 attack percentage for the game, while Washburn countered with a .225 swing rate. Magan Alexander led the Tigers with 11 kills, with Kylie Rollman (10) also reaching double figures. Taylor White recorded 25 digs, a season-high for three set matches.
Fort Hays State kept things close in the opening set, rallying from as many as five down to tie things up at 16 thanks to a 6-1 run. The teams then traded points for the next few rallies until Washburn turned a 19-19 tie into a 25-19 win thanks to six consecutive points.
After recording a .125 hitting percentage in the opening set, the Tigers rallied back to post a .271 swing rate in the second frame. The Tigers traded the lead with the Ichabods for much of the second set, ultimately scoring three in a row on kills from Rollman, Logan Wallick and Callie Christensen to reach set point, 24-21. Washburn found a way to rally back, however, scoring the next five points to steal the set, 26-24.
The Tigers came out of the break on a mission, quickly jumping in front by five to open the third set, 14-9. The tides started to turn at that point, as the Ichabods went on a 16-3 run to close the set and seal the 3-0 victory.
Oklahoma Baptist 3, Fort Hays State 1 (13-25, 25-22, 19-25, 11-25)
Fort Hays State got off to a slow start in the second match of the day, but recovered to tie things up after the second set. Oklahoma Baptist regained momentum after the break, holding the FHSU offense at bay to win in four sets. The Bison posted a .259 hitting percentage while holding the Tigers to a .074 attack rate. Alexander again led the Tigers offensively, tallying seven kills. Christensen picked up six blocks in the match while adding five kills.
The Bison took control early in the first set, jumping out to an 8-2 lead. The Tigers were unable to bounce back, dropping the opening frame 25-13.
The second set was a different story, as the Tigers battled with OBU every step of the way. Neither team led by more than three for the entirety of the set, with the lead changing hands seven times. Oklahoma Baptist used a 3-1 run to jump back in front, 22-21, before three blocks from Christensen helped Fort Hays State rattled off four-straight points to secure the set, 25-22.
The teams went back-and-forth once again to open the third set, with Fort Hays State using a 4-1 run and a correct challenge from Brandi Fairbank to tie things up at 15. The Bison took control after that, going on a 10-4 run to close the third set before securing the match with a 25-11 victory in set four.
The Tigers will be back in action Sunday afternoon when they travel to Emporia, Kan. to face off with Emporia State. First serve is set for 4 p.m.