FHSU Sports Information Department
Fort Hays State Volleyball was voted eighth in the 2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Thursday morning (Aug. 13). Eighth is where the Tigers finished last year in the standings, a season in which they saw great improvement in MIAA play.
In 2014, the Tigers saw their win percentage in MIAA play make a jump of .130 from the previous year and they finished three spots higher in the MIAA standings. The Tigers won seven MIAA matches in 2014, tying the most they have ever won in the conference since joining in 2006. However, with the improvement, the Tigers still finished at 13-18 overall with 15 of the losses occurring in MIAA play. Outside of the very tough MIAA schedule, the Tigers finished 6-3 against non-conference competition.
There is no doubt that the Tigers play in the toughest region in the country in NCAA Division II. The MIAA and the NSIC are two of the most powerful conferences in the nation in volleyball, and unfortunately the conferences play in the same region. Thus, only eight teams are selected into the Central Regional of the 64-team NCAA Tournament each year. To paint a picture of how good this region has been, it has had a team in the national title match eight straight years. Concordia-St. Paul won the national title an unprecedented seven times in a row from 2007 to 2013, but they were finally knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the Central Regional by Southwest Minnesota State last year. Southwest Minnesota went on to play in the national title match, but fell to Tampa.
Some may say Concordia-St. Paul has just been that good, but take a look at the final national rankings at the end of the 2014 season. The Central Region finished with five of the top six teams in the nation – Southwest Minnesota State at No. 2, Minnesota-Duluth at No. 3, Concordia-St. Paul at No. 4, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 5, and Wayne State (Neb.) at No. 6. Four of those teams went home in the NCAA Tournament before the Elite Eight, as only one can advance from the regional. The 2013 season was just as brutal as six of the top 10 teams in the final poll were from the Central Region – Concordia-St. Paul at No. 1 (earning their seventh-straight national title), Minnesota-Duluth at No. 4, Central Missouri at No. 6, Southwest Minnesota State at No. 7, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 8, and Washburn at No. 10.
With the great balance of the conference and region in volleyball, the Tigers have continued a quest to compete and finish among the top teams in the MIAA. The road block has been MIAA play. The Tigers have finished well above .500 in non-conference play each of the last four years, going 12-3 in 2011, 16-4 in 2012, 11-6 in 2013, and 6-3 last year. A 22-game conference schedule in 2014 kept the Tigers from playing very many non-conference matches.
The MIAA schedule consists of just 18 games this year with the return of the MIAA Tournament at the end of the season. There was no conference tournament in 2014, so the three MIAA teams qualifying for the NCAA Tournament were at-large selections. Two teams from the MIAA with great resumes were left home. That included Central Oklahoma, which finished third in the conference and had an overall record of 26-5, and Missouri Western, which finished fifth in the conference and had an overall record of 22-8. Both teams finished 10 or more games over .500 in conference play, but still could not make the cut for the eight-team regional.
The Tigers have four players returning from last year’s squad with Mallory Flagor as the lone senior. She was one of the conference’s top hitters in 2014, garnering an All-MIAA Second Team selection with 348 kills for the season. The Tigers have strength at middle hitter with the return of Rebekah Spainhour and Callie Christensen. Spainhour finished with 234 kills in her sophomore campaign and Christensen had 133 as a true freshman. The duo combined for 179 blocks, nearly tying each other for the team lead (Spainhour with 90, Christensen with 89). The fourth returner is Crystal Whitten, who redshirted last year after transferring from Pittsburg State, where she was one of the team’s top offensive threats at outside hitter. The Tigers have 13 newcomers that will compete to fill in the rotation, especially the void at the setter and libero positions.
FHSU opens up the 2015 season in Marquette, Mich. on the first weekend of September with four non-conference matches against NCAA Division II opponents.
Below is the 2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll…
2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (9) 119
2. Washburn (2) 108
3. Nebraska-Kearney (1) 98
4. Central Oklahoma 95
5. Missouri Western 84
6. Northwest Missouri 66
7. Emporia State 64
8. Fort Hays State 46
9. Pittsburg State 39
10. Southwest Baptist 27
11. Missouri Southern 25
12. Lindenwood 21