SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team wrapped up the opening weekend with a pair five-set victories Saturday (Sept. 2) at the Country Inn & Suites Invitational, hosted by the University of Sioux Falls. The Tigers rallied to defeat Black Hills State in the morning before going the distance against William Jewell later that evening.
FHSU moved back to .500 for the season, improving to 2-2 overall, while both the Yellow Jackets and Cardinals finished the opening weekend 1-3.
Three of the four matches the Tigers played this weekend went to five sets. In comparison, FHSU went the distance in five matches all last season, going 4-1 in those contests.
Callie Christensen earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for her performance this weekend. The senior asserted her dominance at the net, recording an astonishing 30 total blocks (1.67 per set). She added 39 kills, leading the team with a .218 attack percentage.
Logan Wallick had a strong day offensively, leading the Tigers in kills in both matches. She opened the day with 19 kills in the first match, the most kills in a match for a freshman at FHSU since 2011 (Sara Hewson, 9/16/11, at Pittsburg State). After accomplishing a feat that hadn’t occured in 176 matches, it took Wallick mere hours to duplicate it, leading the way with 19 kills in the nightcap.
The Tigers will return to action next weekend when they head to North Canton, Ohio for five matches, starting with a contest against Roberts Wesleyan College Thursday (Sept. 7).
Fort Hays State 3, Black Hills State 2 (25-20, 19-25, 12-25, 25-19, 15-13)
Despite a slow start, the Tigers rallied for a five-set victory over Black Hills State to open the day. FHSU kept its poise after falling behind early in each of the first four sets, putting together big rallies to win the first and fourth frames. The teams then traded points for much of the fifth set before the Tigers scored four of the last five points to secure the match.
Logan Wallick went off for a match-high 19 kills, adding three block assists and three digs. Callie Christensen (10 kills, six total blocks) and Kylie Rollman (10 kills, two block assists) also reached double-figures in kills. Amirah Bentley tossed up 43 assists in the win, adding 11 digs, one block, one service ace and two kills. Libero Taylor White once again led the way with 28 digs, while Abbie Hayes (14) and Azlyn Cassaday (13) also reached double figures.
Black Hills State held a slight advantage in hitting as a team, totaling a .147 hitting percentage compared to FHSU’s .139. The Tiger front line totaled eight team blocks, but couldn’t keep up with the Yellow Jackets as they blocked 11 attempts.
The Tigers came out of the gate a bit sluggish, falling behind by as many as five early in the first set. BHSU maintained its lead until the Tigers scored eight-straight points to rally from 18-14 down to go in front 22-18 with Kailey Klibbe serving. FHSU went on to secure the set five points later, ultimately using an 11-2 run to win 25-20. Wallick had five kills down the stretch, including the set-winning kill on a pass from Bentley.
The Yellow Jackets bounced back by dominating the second and third sets to take an authoritative 2-1 lead in the match. FHSU never led in either set, and the lone tie came at 1-1 in the second frame. Black Hills State bookended the third set with a pair of seven-point runs, going in front 7-0 before winning the game with seven straight points.
It was more of the same in the fourth set, as BHSU scored six of the first seven points to quickly take the lead. The Tigers went on a run of their own after trailing 10-7, winning nine of the next 10 rallies to grab a 16-11 lead. The Yellow Jackets closed the gap to two, but a pair of kills from Wallick helped FHSU even the match at two.
The teams went back and forth for much of the final set, with neither side scoring more than two points in a row until the Tigers closed it out on a 4-1 run. There were 12 ties and seven lead changes in the final set alone, with Christensen putting FHSU in front for good with back-to-back kills. Sydney Dixon then handed the Tigers the victory with a strong kill from the left side.
Fort Hays State 3, William Jewell 2 (25-17, 25-13, 24-26, 30-32, 15-4)
The Tigers wrapped up the weekend with a five-set victory over William Jewell. Four Tigers reached double figures in kills, led by Logan Wallick (19), Sydney Dixon (13), Kylie Rollman (13) and Callie Christensen (10).
Christensen led a strong team performance at the net defensively, leading the Tigers to 14 team blocks. The senior middle hitter had nine blocks of her own, including three solo. Tatum Bartels added five (one solo) while Dixon added four. Becca Page took over setting duties in the second set, taking advantage of the opportunity by tossing up a match-high 42 assists. Taylor White added four assists and led the way with 22 digs, while Abbie Hayes contributed a career-high 19 digs.
The Tigers hit .172 as a team while holding WJC to a miniscule .036 attack percentage. The Cardinals held their own at the net, tallying 13 team blocks.
Fort Hays State fell behind early in the first set, but consecutive kills from Wallick gave the Tigers the lead for good, 11-10. FHSU used a 6-1 run to take a commanding 21-14 lead before a Cardinal attack error sealed the victory later in the set.
Both teams went on incredible runs in the second set, with William Jewell opening the frame by scoring the first 10 points and 12 of the first 13. The Tigers swapped out setters at that point, and that is all it took to steal all the momentum. FHSU responded with an astounding 24-1 run, including 17-straight points to run away with the set, 25-13.
The next two sets were close for their entirety, with neither team leading by more than four points. There were 28 ties and 14 lead changes through the two sets. The Tigers led the third set 22-20, but WJC rallied out of a timeout to stay alive with a 26-24 victory. After keeping trading the lead for the entirety of the fourth set, FHSU fought off a pair of set points to tie things up at 24. Consecutive kills from Wallick gave the Tigers a chance to seal the match, but the Cardinals were not finished. The Tigers had another match point opportunity at 29-28, but WJC went on a 4-1 run to send the match to a deciding fifth set.
Thankfully the Cardinals rally came up just short, as the Tigers dominated the fifth set to take the match. FHSU captured the first six points behind a pair of kills from Rollman and two big blocks. The Tigers took care of business the rest of the set, swinging at a .389 clip while limiting WJC to a -.200 attack percentage. Bartels and Dixon teamed up for a block to seal the win.
