PITTSBURG - Fort Hays State fell in conference action at Pittsburg State on Friday evening in straight sets.
The Gorillas escaped with a two-point win in the first set before winning the next two by three and seven points respectively.
FHSU is now 12-16 overall and 6-13 in the MIAA, tied for seventh in the conference standings with Missouri Western. Pittsburg State moved to 15-12 overall and 9-10 in conference play, remaining sixth in the standings.
After an early lead by Pittsburg State in the first set, FHSU rallied back and took a four-point lead three times, the latest at 16-12. The Gorillas rallied back past the Tigers with five straight points and then it was a back-and-forth battle the rest of the way. The set eventually saw a total of 13 ties and six lead changes before the Gorillas secured two straight points for the 29-27 win.
Fort Hays State had a four-point lead in the second set at 11-7, but the Gorillas went on a 13-4 run to build a 20-15 lead. Though the Tigers pulled back within two, the Gorillas were able to close out the set by three points. The third set was all Gorillas as they enjoyed a nine-point advantage a few times before winning by seven.
Emily Ellis led the Tigers with 11 kills overall, followed by Isabelle Reynolds with 10. Morgan Christiansen had six kills without an error. Elysia Glowacz provided 20 assists and Olivia Hessman distributed 14. Jaden Daffer averaged 8.7 digs per set to finish with 26. FHSU had a slightly better hitting percentage in the first set, but Pittsburg State held the advantage in the second and third sets. FHSU finished at .214, while PSU hit .260.
Janae Thurston led the Gorillas with 15 kills, followed by Jayden Sanford with 12. Both hit over .300 in the match. Brianna Richard had 39 assists and Marissa Bates provided a team-high 13 digs.
The Tigers return to action on Saturday at Missouri Southern in Joplin. Match time is set for 3:30 pm. It will be the final regular season match before the MIAA Tournament next week.