WACO, Texas – After dropping out of the receiving votes section last week, Fort Hays State returns to the AFCA Division II Poll receiving four votes on Monday. The Tigers have received votes in three of four polls this year, including the preseason poll, and the first and third regular season polls of the season.

Fort Hays State is one of four MIAA schools referenced in the weekly poll. Defending national champion Northwest Missouri State continues its hold on the No. 1 ranking, while Central Missouri moved up one spot this week to No. 13. Northwest Missouri State and Central Missouri are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the MIAA. Emporia State and Fort Hays State are both among the receiving votes section.

The Tigers defeated Central Oklahoma 34-20 on Saturday evening to move to 2-1 on the season. Fort Hays State heads to Tahlequah, Oklahoma this week to take on Northeastern State (1-2).

Below is the AFCA Division II Poll for September 19, 2016.

Rank	School (1st votes)	Record	Pts.	Prev.
1.	Northwest Missouri St. (30)	3-0	750	1
2.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	3-0	713	2
3.	West Georgia	3-0	687	3
4.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	3-0	655	4
5.	Ashland (Ohio)	3-0	627	5
6.	Texas A&M-Commerce	2-0	566	7
7.	Ferris St. (Mich.)	3-0	550	6
8.	Henderson St. (Ark.)	3-0	539	8
9.	Indiana (Pa.)	2-0	493	9
10.	Slippery Rock (Pa.)	3-0	476	11
11.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	2-0	426	12
12.	Tuskegee (Ala.)	3-0	386	13
13.	Central Missouri	3-0	376	14
14.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	3-0	333	15
15.	Azusa Pacific (Calif.)	3-0	309	16
16.	Augustana (S.D.)	3-0	268	18
17.	Assumption (Mass.)	3-0	256	17
18.	Colorado Mesa	3-0	255	23
19t.	Florida Tech	3-0	233	19
19t.	North Alabama	1-1	233	20
21.	Minnesota St.	2-1	135	21
22.	Bemidji St. (Minn.)	3-0	126	24
23.	Colorado School of Mines	2-1	125	10
24.	Humboldt St. (Calif.)	2-1	71	25
25.	Harding (Ark.)	3-0	49	NR

Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina-Pembroke, 28; Emporia St. (Kan.), 20; California (Pa.), 15; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 9; Wingate (N.C.), 8; Notre Dame (Ohio), 7; Southwest Baptist (Mo.), 7; West Texas A&M, 7; Fort Hays State (Kan.), 4; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 4; Virginia St., 4.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior defensive end Sie Doe, Jr., was named Co-MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week on Monday (Sept. 19) for his efforts in a 34-20 win over Central Oklahoma this past weekend. He shares the honor this week with Washburn linebacker Cody Heiman.

Doe had a team-best 13 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and a sack on Saturday. He was the only player in the game to record a sack, bringing his season total to four. He currently leads the MIAA in total sacks. Doe and the FHSU defense limited Central Oklahoma, which entered the game averaging 524 yards of total offense, to just 383 yards of total offense.

Heiman recorded a career-high 14 tackles with nine solo stops adding a half sack, two pass break ups and one interception. His interception returned to the Ichabod 45 set up Washburn for a touchdown putting the Ichabods up 34-7 against Lindenwood.

Garrett Fugate of Central Missouri was named the Offensive Athlete of the Week and Jaylen Zachery of Central Missouri earned Special Teams Athlete of the Week.

HAYS, Kan. – The 16th-ranked Fort Hays State women’s soccer team lost for the first time in 2016 on Sunday (Sept. 18), dropping a 1-0 overtime decision to Emporia State in non-conference play. The Tigers’ unbeaten streak to open the year ended at five games, a program best, as they are now 4-1-1 overall on the season. Emporia State improved to 2-2-1 on the year.

It was a defensive battle early as neither team could find rhythm offensively. The Tiger defense was outstanding by holding the Hornets to just one shot in both the first and second halves. The Tigers managed just two shots in the first half before getting off seven shots in the second half.

In overtime the Hornets managed three shots before getting the game winner with 1:38 to play in the period. Emporia State’s Savannah Hallier and Tanna Benefiel used back and forth passing to open up the goal on a break-away situation. Hallier rolled the ball into the low right side of the net to claim the match.

Abbie Flax took the loss in net for FHSU saving four of the five shots that she faced. For the season Flax is 3-1-1. Yadira Rivera moved to 2-2-1 on the season for ESU.

The Tigers have four days off before returning to action on Friday in Topeka, Kan., where they take on Washburn to wrap up non-conference play. Kickoff is set for 6 pm.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. – Jacob Mezera threw for three touchdowns and ran for another helping Fort Hays State to a 34-20 win over Central Oklahoma Saturday night at Lewis Field. Mezera threw touchdown passes on the Tiger first three possessions, helping them to a 21-0 first quarter lead. The redshirt sophomore also rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown as the Tigers improved to 2-1 and picked up their first win at home over the Bronchos (0-3) in five tries.

Chris Brown Postgame Press Conference

Jacob Mezera Postgame Interview

Sie Doe Jr. Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Mezera, who completed 14 of 24 passes for 250 yards, connected on touchdown strikes of 30 and 21 yards to Shaquille Copper before play was stopped with 5:18 to play in the first quarter because of lightning. Mezera then hit Layne Bieberle on a 62-yard TD pass on the first play out of the delay to push the lead to 21-0.

Down 24-10 at the half, the Broncos closed the gap to 27-20 early in the fourth quarter but the FHSU responded with a nine-play scoring drive capped by a 19-yard Mezera touchdown run.

UCO would drive to the Tiger five on their next possession, but a fumble in the endzone was recovered by Rashad Dunnigan. Fort Hays State would then drive all the way to the Bronchos four yard line and run out the clock.

The Tigers amassed 475 yards of total offense including 95 rushing yards from Shaquille Cooper and another 94 from Kenneth Iheme. Cooper also hauled in four passes for 66 yards and the two touchdowns.

Sie Doe led the defense with 13 tackles and recorded the Tigers only sack.

SEATTLE – The 18th-ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team improved to 3-2-1 on Saturday in a 2-1 win at Seattle Pacific to wrap up the weekend road trip in Washington. The Falcons dropped to 2-2-1 on the season.

Micheal Cole put the Tigers in front 1-0 in the ninth minute on a ball from Maurizio Costa. Costa crossed a ball into the box from the right side that found Cole for his first goal of the season. The assist for Costa, his sixth of the season, leads the MIAA. Moises Peralta extended the Tiger lead at the 38:38 mark when he also recorded his first goal of the season on a 25-yard lob into the upper right corner.

SPU cut the lead in half when Stephen MacDonald recorded his seventh goal of the season on a hard ball to the bottom left corner in the 71st minute. The Tiger defense stepped up in the final 19 minutes and prevented the equalizer to secure the win.

Despite being outshot 19-9 overall and 10-4 in shots on net, the Tigers made the most of their opportunities. Michael Yantz was huge for the Tigers saving nine shots on the way to his second win of the year.

The Tigers return to action next Sunday when they head to North Dakota to take on University of Mary. The match is set for 3:30 pm.

DENVER, Colo. – The Fort Hays State University volleyball team extended its season-opening winning streak to 12 games with a pair of comfortable victories Saturday at the Johnson & Wales Invitational. The Tigers (12-0) cruised past Haskell Indian Nations University in straight sets before toppling Johnson & Wales on their home floor in four sets.

Fort Hays State was the only school to finish 4-0 in the tournament for the third weekend in a row. Rebekah Spainhour tallied 38 kills on the day to lead the team.

Two of the eight undefeated teams remaining in NCAA Division II will meet up on Tuesday (Sept. 20) when the Tigers open MIAA play at No. 5-ranked Nebraska-Kearney. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Fort Hays State 3, Haskell Indian Nations 0 (25-14, 25-10, 25-22)
The Tigers used an amazing first set propel them to victory over Haskell (5-7) to open the day Saturday morning. FHSU posted an incredibly efficient .533 attack percentage in the opening set, helping the squad hit .390 for the match. Haskell managed to hit at a .117 clip, but had just 25 kills in the match compared to 50 from the Black and Gold.

Rebekah Spainhour led the team with 15 kills and three blocks, hitting .538 after committing just one attack error. Crystal Whitten added 13 kills of her own, giving the pair of seniors three more kills than the entire Lady Indian squad. Seven Tigers contributed four or more digs, with Chandler Hillman pacing the squad with nine. Whitten, Hillman and Ari Jacobsen all managed two service aces. Hannah Wagy handled the setting duties for the majority of the match, throwing up 39 assists.

Fort Hays State connected with 17 kills and just one kill in the opening frame, compiling an astounding .533 hitting percentage. Haskell kept things close until the midway point, never trailing by more than five before closing the gap to three at 13-10 on a Tiger attack error. FHSU then scored 12 of the next 16 points to capture the set, ending on a block by Wagy and Megan Anderson.

The Tigers kept it in cruise control coming out of the break, taking the second set 25-10. Sydney Dixon picked up five kills in the set, including three kills in a span of six rallies to help the Tigers score 11-straight points with Hillman serving. Jacobsen closed out the game with a service ace.

The Lady Indians made things interesting in the third set, leading by as many as three. Whitten opened the set with a kill and two service aces to hand FHSU a quick 3-0 lead. Haskell battled back to take a 14-11 lead with four consecutive points before Spainhour took over. The senior recorded four kills down the stretch to hand the Tigers their three-set victory.

Fort Hays State 3, Johnson & Wales 1 (25-19, 25-13, 22-25, 25-22)
The Tigers wrapped up the weekend with a four-set victory over Johnson & Wales (11-11) Saturday evening. Fort Hays State hit .190 for the match and compiled eight blocks, holding the Wildcats to a .100 attack percentage.

Senior Rebekah Spainhour set a personal-best with 23 kills, recording an efficient .571 attack percentage while adding two solo blocks. Megan Anderson tossed in four total blocks and 10 kills while Crystal Whitten recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 21 kills and 12 digs. Hannah Wagy threw up 55 assists while Ari Jacobsen led the team with 22 digs.

The sides traded the lead numerous times to open the match before Fort Hays State extended a 17-11 lead behind two blocks from Callie Christensen. The Wildcats closed the gap to two, 21-19, prompting Kohler to use a timeout. The Tigers rattled off four-straight points to close out the match, with Whitten recording the final two kills.

The Black and Gold never trailed in the second frame, with Whitten connecting with six kills in the set. The Tigers rattled off six-straight points in the heart of the set to put things effectively out of reach, 16-8. After recording a kill on the opening point, Whitten bookended the set with another kill to clinch the 25-13 victory.

The Wildcats extended the match after taking the third set, 25-22. There were five ties early on in the game before JWU scored five of seven points to extend a four-point lead, 13-9. The Tigers narrowed the gap to one with kill from Sydney Dixon and Spainhour, but the Wildcats bounced back to take the set after scoring the final two points in the frame.

With eight ties scattered through the set, the fourth game was just as competitive as the third. The Wildcats scored five-straight to extend a 13-9 lead before Kohler took a timeout to regroup. The Tigers finally grabbed the lead at 16-15 with a kill from Dixon. With the Tigers trailing 19-18, Spainhour took over down the stretch. The senior recorded kills on five of the last 10 points in the match to hand the Tigers the match.

HAYS, Kan. – The 16th-ranked Fort Hays State women’s soccer team remained undefeated on Friday by playing to a 1-1 draw with Nebraska-Kearney. The Tigers are now 4-0-1 overall, still the best start in program history. Nebraska-Kearney is now 2-2-1.

Thayla Dwyer  gave the Tigers the lead in the first half when she picked up her fourth goal of the season in the eighth minute. Dani Harris crossed the ball from the far side of the field. Dwyer took possession of the pass and beat the keeper to the lower left of the goal.

UNK struck late in the first half to even the score. At the 44:42 mark, Marika Van Brocklin took control of a loose ball then sent a long shot from about forty yards out. Tiger keeper Abbie Flax was playing up on the play and sprawled backwards to deflect the shot but wasn’t able to get enough of the ball as it fell into the net.

From that point, neither team could find the winning goal in the final 65 minutes of play. Both teams finished with just nine shot attempts for the match.

Flax recorded four saves on the night and is now 3-0-1 on the season. Allie Prososki of Nebraska-Kearney moved to 2-1-1.

The Tigers are back in action once more on Sunday when they welcome Emporia State to Hays for an afternoon non-conference game. The match is set for 2 pm.

FHSU Sports Information

DENVER, Colo. – In just two hours, nine minutes the Fort Hays State University volleyball team picked up two dominating victories Friday at the Johnson & Wales Invitational. The wins give the Tigers a 10-game winning streak to open the season, their first double-digit win streak since 2003 (14 matches).

FHSU cruised past Central Christian in straight sets first thing Friday morning before swatting away Graceland in three later that afternoon. The Tigers’ defense was out in full force, holding opponents to a -.023 hitting percentage on the day while adding 14 total blocks and 115 digs (19.2 per set). Both opponents are members of the NAIA.

The squad will return to action in Denver Saturday when they play Haskell at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. MT) before a 7 p.m. (6 p.m. MT) contest against tournament host Johnson & Wales.

Fort Hays State 3, Central Christian 0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-18) 
The FHSU Tigers had an early wakeup call Friday with their first match schedule for 8 a.m. local time, but they were primed and ready to go right out of the gate against Central Christian. FHSU hit .198 for the match, holding the CCC Tigers to a .000 attack percentage. Both sides managed four blocks in the match, with Fort Hays State totaling 56 digs, 17 more than CCC’s 39.

Megan Anderson led the team with 12 kills and a .556 attack percentage, making one solo block and four digs on defense. Libero Ari Jacobson picked up 14 digs and one service ace while senior Chelsea Payne led the team with two service aces. Becca Page (20 assists) and Hannah Wagy (13) split the setting duties. Chandler Hillman added seven digs and one service ace.

Fort Hays State used a five-point run to extend a 9-3 lead thanks to back-to-back kills from Sydney Dixon before Kailey Klibbe served during the team’s eight-point rally. Crystal Whitten contributed three kills in a five-point span, the last of which handed the FHSU Tigers a 17-7 advantage. Kylie Rollman brought the set to an end with her second kill of the frame.

Page served to open the second set, with Megan Anderson helping FHSU extend a 5-0 lead with consecutive kills. The teams traded points for much of the game before Rollman brought things to a close with a pair of service aces during another five-point scoring rally for the FHSU Tigers.

Megan Alexander and Megan Anderson took over in the final set, contributing nine of FHSU’s 12 kills in the frame. The two hit a combined .571 while the rest of the team struggled to a -.157 attack percentage. A poor hitting performance from the CCC Tigers helped Kurt Kohler’s squad remain in control throughout the set, which ultimately came to a close with a CCC bad set following an ace from Payne.

Fort Hays State 3, Graceland 0 (25-7, 25-14, 27-25) 
The Tigers did not allow a five-plus hour break bother them, coming out against Graceland on fire. FHSU allowed just seven points in the first set against the Yellowjackets. FHSU compiled a .252 attack percentage in the match, holding GU to a -.041 effort on the day.

Megan Anderson once again led the team with 10 kills, adding six total blocks and three digs to cap off an incredible day on the court. Crystal Whitten added nine kills and 13 digs, one off the team-high in both categories. Callie Christensen contributed five block assists and one kill with Rebekah Spainhour throwing in seven kills and four total blocks (three solo).

The Tigers dominated in every facet of the game in the opening set, recording six total blocks to hold Graceland to an abysmal -.220 attack percentage. FHSU was incredibly efficient on offense, totaling 10 kills and just one attack error to hit at a .310 clip in the set. Anderson and Christensen combined for five blocks in the set, with Anderson adding another solo block and four kills. The Tigers scored the first seven points in the set, and the rout was on. FHSU scored 13 of the final 15 points in the set, with FHSU forcing eight Yellowjacket attack errors during the run.

After Fort Hays State took the second set comfortably, 25-14, the Yellowjackets battled back to make the third frame interesting. Graceland took a three-point lead at 8-5, prompting Kohler to use a timeout. The teams traded points until a Spainhour solo block tied the score at 14. The Tigers trailed as late as 23-22 before Alexander threw down a kill coming out of a timeout to level things at 23. Whitten added a kill to hand FHSU a serve on match point, but Graceland stayed alive with a kill. Another solo block from Spainhour helped the Tigers stay alive before a Yellowjacket error sealed the FHSU victory.

VICTORIA, Kan. – Both the Fort Hays State men’s and women’s cross country teams took the team titles at the Sand Plum Invitational Thursday evening. The Tiger men finished first with 19 team points, placing seven runners in the top-eight spots. The women also scored 19 team points, placing all five scoring runners in the top seven.

Senior Try Wineinger won the men’s event after traversing the five-kilometer course in 15:17.03, capturing his second career victory at FHSU. Sophomore Sophie Dalmasso won the women’s individual title with a personal-best time of 18:17.93 on the five-kilometer course.

Junior transfer Oscar Carmona was the third runner to cross the line in the men’s race, running in 15:42.75. Jacob Thomas (15:44.39) and Layton Werth (15:48.64) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while senior Feysel Rahmeto rounded out the scoring for FHSU with a sixth-place finish, posting a time of 15:53.08.

In all, 20 Tigers completed the race with 16 runners finishing in the top half of the 56-man field. MIAA rival Emporia State finished second with 54 points, 35 back of the FHSU total. Colby CC, Garden City CC and Dodge City CC finished in third, fourth and fifth in the team competition, respectively.

The Tigers will return to action next weekend when they travel to Emporia, Kan. for the Emporia State Invitational Friday, Sept. 23. The men will compete in an eight-kilometer race for the first time this season when the gun goes off at 5:45 p.m.

Shea Bonine finished second for the women after completing the course in 18:32.6, a new personal-best for the junior. Chelsea Jackson (18:54.04) and Micki Krzesinski (19:22.05) finished third and fourth, respectively, for the Tigers. Sophomore Yessenia Gonzales rounded out the scoring in seventh with a time of 19:59.52.

Forty-two runners from four institutions competed in the event, with Colby CC finishing second after compiling 63 points. Dodge City CC finiished in third with 75 points with MIAA rival Emporia State bringing up the rear with 81 team points.

The Tigers will return to action next weekend when they travel to Emporia, Kan. for the Emporia State Invitational Friday, Sept. 23. The women’s five-kilometer race will begin at 5 p.m.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The 18^th-ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team dropped to 2-2-1 overall after suffering a 1-0 loss at Western Washington on Thursday (Sept. 15). The Vikings improved to 3-1-1 on the season.

The lone goal in the match came in the 24^th minute from Western Washington’s Jeremiah Lee. Ibra Drame found Lee with a pass around 20 yards out and Lee sent a bending shot into the upper left corner of the net.

Fort Hays State outshot Western Washington 13-11 on the night but lacked efficiency as only one of those shots was on net. Michael Yantz took the loss between the pipes for FHSU, saving two of the three shots on goal from the Vikings.

The Tigers look to rebound as their west coast trip continues on Saturday (Sept. 17) at Seattle Pacific University. The match is set for 9 pm (central time).