HAYS, Kan. — In a tense five-set match at Gross Memorial Coliseum, Fort Hays St. (12-1, 1-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate) prevailed over Mo. Southern St. (6-6, 0-1 Mid-America Intercollegiate) with a 3-2 victory. The Tigers secured the match with set scores of 25-14, 17-25, 25-17, 24-26, 15-12. Fort Hays St. recorded 56 kills to the Lions' 52, capitalizing on key moments to edge out the visiting team.
Mo. Southern St. holds an overall record of 6-6, beginning conference play with a 0-1 record in the Mid-America Intercollegiate. The Tigers have an impressive overall record of 12-1, starting their conference play with a 1-0 record in the Mid-America Intercollegiate.
Alana Moesch led Missouri Southern State with 22 kills and 24 total points over five matches.
Fernanda Merancio contributed significantly with 12 kills and five total blocks, amassing 15 points.
Tori Hamilton was effective defensively, recording 26 digs.
Hannah Allick facilitated the offense with 23 assists and added a service ace.
The first set commenced with Missouri Southern State taking an early lead, thanks to a kill by Moesch and an attack error from Fort Hays St. The Lions maintained an edge through several exchanges, with Merancio and
Epifania Salamasina delivering key kills to keep the score close at 8-9.
Despite the back-and-forth nature of the set, Fort Hays St. managed to pull ahead with a run that extended their lead to 15-8, capitalizing on attack errors by Missouri Southern. The Lions responded with a brief surge, highlighted by another Merancio kill, narrowing the gap to 18-13.
However, Fort Hays St. regained control, closing the set with a decisive series of points, including multiple kills from Ashlyn Reeves. The set concluded with a service ace, sealing a 25-14 victory for the Tigers in the first set.
Mo. Southern St. began the second set with a strong defensive front, establishing early momentum with consecutive blocks by Moesch and
Hanna Lauterbach. This opening set the tone for the team, who followed up with a kill by Merancio, building a lead over Fort Hays St.
The middle of the set saw the Lions extend their advantage, with
Addysen Alvis contributing key kills and a service ace from
Mataiya Barber. Although the Tigers managed to close the gap with a few kills, Mo. Southern St.'s consistent attacks, including efforts by Moesch and Allick, maintained the lead.
The Lions closed the set decisively, with Moesch delivering the final points through a series of kills. The set ended with Mo. Southern St. taking a commanding 25-17 lead over Fort Hays St.
Missouri Southern State opened the third set with momentum, securing an early 3-0 lead through a kill by Allick and back-to-back blocks by Merancio and Lauterbach. The team continued to show resilience, with Moesch and Alvis each contributing key kills to keep them within reach.
Despite a brief lead, the Lions faced a strong response from the Tigers, who went on a 6-point run to shift the score to 9-6. Missouri Southern countered with kills from
Anny Montano and Moesch, narrowing the gap to 10-11. However, Fort Hays St. capitalized on several errors by the Lions, extending their advantage.
As the set progressed, Moesch added another kill to bring the score to 15-20, but Fort Hays St. maintained control. Ultimately, Missouri Southern fell short as the Tigers closed the set with a 25-17 victory.
In the fourth set, Missouri Southern State initiated play with a quick point from Merancio, setting the tone early. Despite a few early errors, the Lions capitalized on the Tigers' service mistakes and blocks by Salamasina, allowing them to tie the score at 6-6. A series of errors from the Tigers gave the Lions a 10-8 edge, which they maintained through solid defensive plays, including key blocks by
Ella Breazeale and Moesch.
Midway through the set, Missouri Southern surged ahead to 19-15, leveraging blocks and kills from Moesch and Alvis. The Tigers narrowed the gap with a late push, but the Lions' consistent attack, highlighted by Merancio's kills, kept them in front. As the set tightened at 24-24, Alvis's kill, followed by an attack error from the Tigers, secured a 26-24 win for Missouri Southern, extending the match.
Mo. Southern St. began the fifth set with a strong start, quickly advancing to a 3-1 lead with kills by Moesch and Merancio, and capitalizing on an opponent error. The Tigers responded, drawing even at 3-3, but a kill from Alvis put the Lions back in front at 4-3.
The teams traded points, with Moesch and Salamasina delivering key kills, keeping Mo. Southern St. narrowly ahead 7-6. Moesch continued to be instrumental, adding another kill to extend the lead to 9-7. Despite a resilient effort, including a block by Lauterbach and Merancio, the Lions saw the Tigers rally and pull ahead 13-12.
In the closing moments, Fort Hays St. capitalized on attack errors by Mo. Southern St. to finalize the set with a 15-12 victory, concluding the match in their favor.
