SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team opened the 2017 season with a pair of losses on day one of the Country Inn & Suites Invitational, hosted by the University of Sioux Falls. The Tigers dropped a heartbreaker against Arkansas-Fort Smith to open Friday (Sept. 1) before falling in straight sets against Sioux Falls.
Callie Christensen had a strong opening day of the season, totaling 15 blocks (1.88 per set) while adding 19 kills and swinging at a .286 clip. Redshirt-freshman libero Taylor White led the team with 31 digs on the day while freshman Amirah Bentley served as the primary setter in both matches, tossing up 78 assists on the day.
The Tigers look to even out their record Saturday (Sept. 2) when they face off with Black Hills State at 9 a.m. and William Jewell at 4:30 p.m.
Arkansas-Fort Smith 3, Fort Hays State 2 (21-25, 25-23, 25-16, 23-25, 18-20)
The Tigers nearly upset perennial power Arkansas-Fort Smith, winners of two NCAA Division II South Central Region titles in the last three years and enters the year receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll. UAFS captured the opening set before the Tigers took control, winning sets two and three. The Lady Lions showed their poise down the stretch, holding off FHSU to take the fourth set before fighting off four match point opportunities in the final frame, ultimately winning the fifth set 20-18.
Kylie Rollman went off for a career-high 20 kills, her first double-digit kill performance at FHSU, while adding five block assists and one service ace. Senior Callie Christensen turned in her first career double-double, throwing down 15 kills while leading the way with 10 total blocks (one solo). The Raymond, Neb. native posted a game-high .438 attack percentage. Sydney Dixon chipped in 11 kills on a team-high 54 swings, adding five digs and two total blocks (one solo).
While upperclassmen led the charge at the net, several freshmen turned in strong performances in their collegiate debut. Amirah Bentley stepped into the primary setter role in her first game as a true freshman, tossing up 55 assists while adding 14 digs, two block assists and one service ace. Redshirt-freshman Taylor White led the team with 20 digs while serving as the libero. True freshman Tatum Bartels was also called upon to start, leading the team with two service aces while chipping in five blocks (three solo), six kills and six digs.
After setting the rally scoring era record for team blocks last season, the Tigers kept that trend going by swatting away 16 Lady Lion attempts. UAFS recorded just eight blocks in the match.
The Tigers took an early lead after winning the first two points of the match, but the Lady Lions jumped in front for good by scoring five of the next seven points. FHSU kept it close for the entirety of the set, forcing eight ties and never trailing by more than four. But each time the Tigers put together a rally, UAFS went to heavy hitter Anna Demmer to take back momentum. The outside hitter recorded seven of her game-high 29 kills in the first set. Additionally, Demmer broke the school record for kills in a match.
Arkansas-Fort Smith turned the tables and jumped out to an early advantage in the second, leading by as many as six, 9-3. The Tigers closed within one, 12-11, behind an 8-3 run of their own before finally taking the lead, 16-15. The advantage would be short-lived, however, as UAFS grabbed it right back two points later. Facing a 23-20 deficit, the Tigers were seconds away from falling behind 2-0 in the match. Instead, Fort Hays State rallied after a timeout called by head coach Kurt Kohler to win the final five points and take the set, 25-23. Rollman and Christensen combined for a block to start the rally before Rollman tied things up with an ace two serves later. Another block from Christensen and Wallick gave the Tigers a set point opportunity before a strong kill from Wallick secured the victory.
The Tigers dominated the third set, 25-16, the only frame to be decided by more than four points. After swapping points for the first half of the set, FHSU scored seven-straight points to extend a 19-9 lead. Christensen recorded a kill and two blocks during the stretch while Bartels added one kill and one service ace. The Lady Lions put together a small rally, closing within seven, but kills from Christensen, Dixon and Bartels finished off the frame and put the Tigers in front 2-1.
Although Fort Hays State never led in the fourth set, the Tigers didn’t go away quietly. The Lady Lions led by as many as five early in the game, but FHSU slowly clawed back before kills from Magan Alexander and Rollman tied things up at 19. UAFS rallied after calling timeout, scoring five of the next six points to reach set point. The Tigers closed within one by scoring three straight points, but a kill from Demmer evened the match at two.
Both teams threw away chances to put away the fifth and final set before UAFS finally capitalized on the seventh match point of the game. The Lady Lions established a four-point lead midway through the set, 10-6, but FHSU kept its cool to stay within striking distance. After the Tigers used a 5-2 run to close within one, 12-11, UAFS answered back to reach match point, 14-12. A block from Christensen and Bentley extended the match before Dixon tied things up at 14 with a kill. Another block from Bartels and Dixon gave the Tigers a chance to secure the win, but Arkansas-Fort Smith bounced back to stay alive. FHSU went on to have three more match point opportunities, but the Lady Lions scored to extend the match each time. After trailing 18-17, UAFS won three straight rallies to win the set, 20-18, and secure the victory.
Sioux Falls 3, Fort Hays State 0 (21-25, 20-25, 20-25)
After taking the Arkansas-Fort Smith to the brink early in the day, the Tigers were unable to keep pace with Sioux Falls in the evening session, losing in straight sets. Fort Hays State struggled offensively, hitting .036 as a team compared to a .204 attack percentage for USF.
Sydney Dixon led the team with six kills, adding two block assists and three digs. Callie Christensen picked up five more blocks (one solo) while chipping in four kills. Amirah Bentley tossed up 23 assists and recorded two service aces.
The Tigers kept things close through much of the first set, taking an early lead before holding the deficit within three. Kylie Rollman helped the Tigers tie things up at 18 with a kill and a block with Tatum Bartels. After a kill from Bentley tied the score at 19, USF scored four straight points to take their largest lead of the set. Rollman and Logan Wallick responded with back-to-back kills, but the Cougars captured the next two points to secure the victory.
Fort Hays State appeared to be in control early in the second set, leading by as many as five. The teams traded points until late in the set when USF used a 9-2 run to rally from 18-16 down to win the set, 25-20.
Sioux Falls jumped in front to open the third frame, but the Tigers used a 6-1 run to take the lead, 14-13. The Cougars scored two points coming out of a timeout to retake the lead, but FHSU won four of the next five points to go up by two, 18-16. Sioux Falls answered back with another 9-2 run, clinching the match with a 25-20 victory.
