FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
HAYS, Kan. – With big contributions from the five Tiger seniors on Senior Day, the Fort Hays State University volleyball team coasted to a three-set victory over Missouri Southern Sunday afternoon (Oct. 30). The Tigers improved to 22-7 overall and 8-6 in the MIAA, while the Lions dropped to 4-22 this season and 1-12 in conference play.
Tiger seniors Megan Anderson, Chelsea Payne, Rebekah Spainhour, Hannah Wagy and Crystal Whitten were recognized before the match, the final regular season home match of their career. The five seniors combined to contribute 36 of the 42 Tiger kills, 37 of the 40 assists and five of the six service aces for FHSU.
Fort Hays State earned a .341 attack percentage in the match while limiting the visitors to a .051 swing rate. The Tigers held an advantage all across the stat sheet, including a 43-32 edge in digs, a 6-1 advantage in service aces and a 40-24 edge in assists.
Whitten led the team with 16 kills, posting a .387 attack percentage and adding one service ace. Spainhour connected with 11 kills on just 16 swings without an error, good for an eye-popping .688 hitting percentage. Anderson added nine kills and one solo block while Wagy contributed 34 assists and nine digs in the match. Making her first start of the season, Payne recorded four digs, two service aces and one assist.
The teams went back-and-forth to open the match, with neither team leading by more than two until late in the set. The Tigers went on an 8-1 run late in the frame behind three kills from Whitten to extend a 23-14 lead. FHSU won the set four points later, 25-16, on a Lion error.
The Tigers never trailed for the remainder of the afternoon, limiting the Lions to a .000 attack percentage over the last two sets. The Black and Gold scored five-straight with Spainhour serving twice in the second set, including two aces from the senior. The Tigers captured the 25-17 victory after another Lion service error.
Fort Hays State went on a 9-2 run out of the locker room en route to a 25-13 third-set triumph. Payne served the team to seven-straight points midway through the set, the longest run of the match, to extend a 17-7 lead. Keely Ruby recorded the final point of the match for the Tigers, finding a hole in the Lion defense after a pass from Chandler Hillman.
The Tigers will return to action next weekend when they travel to play at Missouri Western on Friday (Nov. 4) at 7 p.m.