ROAD TRIP WRAP UP
Emporia State wraps up a three game road swing at Ft. Hays State on Tuesday before returning to White Auditorium for a pair of Homecoming Weekend matches on Friday and Saturday.
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LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State had more kills and total points while winning two lopsided sets and losing two close ones before a 15-9 loss in the fifth set at Pittsburg State.
The Hornets ended the first set on a 7-1 run to take a 25-19 victory for an early lead. Emporia State jumped out to a 4-0 lead and led 14-7 in the second set. Pittsburg State then answered with a 13-5 run to take a 20-19 lead. The Hornets had set point at 24-23 only to see the Gorillas score the final three points for a 26-24 lead.
Emporia State used a 5-1 ending run for another 25-19 win in the third set to take a 2-1 lead. The Hornets led 14-8 and had a 23-21 lead before the Gorillas scored the final four points for a 25-23 win and force the fifth set. Emporia State never led in the fifth set as Pitt State took the match with a 15-9 victory.
Carly Spicer and Josie Williams each had 17 kills for Emporia State as Spicer added a career high 25 digs. They were joined in double figure kills by Katie Deutschmann with 12 and Courtney Haring with ten kills while Haring added seven blocks. Kelly Holden had 20 digs while Kimberly Bell and Sydney Hartman combined for 52 of Emporia State's 61 assists.
THE COACHES
Bing Xu is 218-94 in his tenth year as the head coach at Emporia State. He has led the Hornets to five NCAA Tournament appearances and has won at least 18 matches in each of the last seven seasons. He is 16-1 against Ft. Hays State.
Kurt Kohler is 111-123 in his sixth year at Ft. Hays State. He is 1-9 against Emporia State.
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SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 7-8 on the season and 3-7 in the MIAA. Six of the Hornets 15 matches this year have gone five sets with Emporia State going 3-3 in those sixmatches. Only three of the Hornets 15 matches have been sweeps, a 3-0 win over Ohio Valley and a 3-0 losses at nationally ranked Washburn and Neb.-Kearney.
Carly Spicer is sixth in the MIAA in the latest conference rankings in kills at 3.73 per set. She has at least ten kills 13 of 15 matches this season and has recorded double-doubles in nine matches in her first year playing the full rotation. She averaged 17.5 kills and 24.0 digs in two matches over the weekend. She had a career high 25 digs to go with 17 kills and three blocks at Pittsburg State. She tied her career high with 21 kills and added 18 digs at Northwest Missouri, her second match this season with at least 20 kills and 15 digs. She has failed to reach double figures in either kills or digs in just one match this season, getting six kills and seven digs at Neb.-Kearney.
Kelly Holden is sixth in the MIAA in digs at 4.40 per set. After getting nine digs in the first match of the year, she has recorded at least ten in the last 14 matches with a career high 25 in four sets at Southwest Baptist. She is averaging 5.14 digs per set over the last seven matches and has at least 20 digs in six of her last seven matches.
Courtney Haring is averaging 0.95 blocks and 2.00 kills per set on a team best .270 hitting percentage.
Kimberly Bell is averaging 5.87 assists and Sydney Hartman 3.93 assists per set in the Hornets two setter system.
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SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Ft. Hays State is 7-11 on the year, 2-8 in the MIAA and have dropped five straight conference matches. Mallory Flagor is averaging a team best 3.50 kills per set on .278 hitting while Keanu Bradley is averaging 5.12 digs per set. Libby Ary averages 5.76 and Kristin Conor 4.87 assists per set.
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LAST TIME AGAINST FT. HAYS STATE
After dropping the opening set, Emporia State rallied to knock off Fort Hays State 3-1 in Hays, Kan. last season.
The Hornets dropped the opening set 25-21 before evening the match with a 25-17 win in the second set. Emporia State battled through a tough third set to win 26-24 and take a 2-1 lead. There was eight ties in the set with the final tie coming at 24-all. Emporia State jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the fourth set forcing an early Fort Hays timeout. The Tigers tied the game at 14 and took an 18-16 lead before the Hornets outscored them 9-4 down the stretch.
Carly Spicer led Emporia State with 12 kills, while Courtney Haring added six blocks. Syndey Hartman finished with a team-high 24 assists.
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SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 80th meeting between Emporia State and Ft. Hays State. The Hornets hold a 53-26 lead in the all-time series with the lone loss coming in 1987 in five sets.
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NEXT SERVE
Emporia State returns to White Auditorium to take on Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri to start the second round of MIAA play. First serve against the Griffons is set for 7:00 p.m. on Friday with the match against the Bearcats set to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday following Emporia State's Homecoming football game against Ft. Hays State.
