Fort Hays, Kansas- Northwestern Oklahoma State traveled to Fort Hays State University to take on the Tigers for a Sunday afternoon matchup. The Tigers would win the match 3-1 Sunday after five close sets after not one set were won by more than five points, including three of them within three points.
Addison Wimmer led the Rangers in kills with 19, followed by Kaydee Honeycutt with 12 and Courtney Russell with six. Ravyn Burns finished the afternoon with six blocks, as Austyn Pine had four, with Russell finishing with two. Abby Davis had 25 assists to lead the Rangers, followed by Abigail Burns with 18 and Tarra Parks with three. Parks led the Rangers with 31 digs, with Wimmer having 16 and Maggie Peterson with nine.
1st Set:
Fort Hays came out firing in the opening set opening with three straight points on three consecutive kills. Wimmer ended that run with a kill of her own to get two consecutive points for the Rangers. Again, the Tigers countered with three straight points to open an early 6-2 lead over the Rangers. Northwestern and the Tigers would trade points as the Tigers opened a 10-6 lead following a Honeycutt kill. At that point in the opening set, both teams would find a small run, trading 3-0 runs as the Tigers would hold a 20-17 lead at the first timeout called in the opening set. Out of the timeout back to back kills for the Wimmer and the Rangers brought it to 21-19 Tigers. Rangers' kills from Austyn Pine and Wimmer would help bring the set back to 23-23. However, the Tigers would respond with two straight points to close out the first set 25-23 and a 1-0 match lead.
2nd Set:
After a kill from Madison Dehlinger, the Rangers were tied 2-2 before Fort Hays went on a 3-0 run to take a 5-2 lead. Following two straight points and a countered 3-0 run for the Tigers as well would open an 8-4 lead for the home team. The two teams would trade points for the following six points to keep the deficit at four with a 12-8 FHS lead. Northwestern would answer with four consecutive points to bring the deficit down to one point. FHS would respond with a 5-1 run to open their lead back to five at 19-14. Rangers would cut it back down three on two different occasions, the last one being 23-20 before the Tigers closed out the set with back-to-back points to win the set 25-20 and take a 2-0 match lead.
3rd Set:
Northwestern looked to force a fourth set, but the Tigers jumped out fast in set three, scoring four of the first five points in the set. FHS holding the five-point lead as the Rangers and Tigers would trade points until the lead was at 15-10. A kill from Austyn Pine would start a 4-0 run for the Rangers, bringing the deficit back to 15-14 following three straight serves from Abigail Burns. Northwestern would tie the set at 17-17 following a serve from Dehlinger, leading to a Tiger attack error. The set would stay tied to 20-20 following a Wimmer kill. With the Rangers trailing 21-20, they would use a 4-0 run to open their biggest lead at 24-21. The run was started by a block from Pine and Ravyn Burns. A service ace from Parks would give the Rangers the 24-21 lead. Northwestern would close the third set out on a kill from Honeycutt assisted by Davis. Rangers won the set 25-22 to force the fourth set.
4th Set:
In the fourth set, the Red-and-Black looked to carry the momentum into the next set scoring the opening two points of the set, before the set would be tied at 3-3. The set would be even 7-7 after the teams traded point for point before Northwestern would go on a 3-0 run and take a 10-7 lead. The run was started by a Honeycutt kill, before the final point coming from a Maggie Peterson serve leading to a Tigers attack error. Northwestern would hold a 13-11 lead before the Tigers scored three unanswered to take the lead back at 14-13. The teams would again trade point for point in this fourth set as neither team allowing one to pull away up to a 17-17 tied set four. Fort Hays would build a 21-17 lead to complete a 5-0 run, but the Rangers had the answer. Northwestern completed a 6-1 run to take a 23-22 lead late in the set. A kill from Wimmer and Dehlinger, followed by a Burns service ace, gave the Rangers the lead. However, following a timeout, the Tigers answered with a 3-0 run to win the set 25-23 and the match at 3-1 over Northwestern.
The Rangers will be back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Bethany, Oklahoma, to take on Southern Nazarene. The Rangers will return home on Friday, September 24th playing host to Oklahoma Baptist.
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