Box Score | Season Stats
KIRKSVILLE - - Junior Megan Sharpe became just the 12th member of Truman's 1,000-kill club, and the Truman volleyball team picked up a much-needed five-set victory against Fort Hays State on Saturday night in Pershing Arena.
The Bulldogs (17-11, 6-6 MIAA) hit .268 as a team behind big offensive performances by Sharpe and senior Molly Sinclair, who each put away 19 kills. Sharpe stole the spotlight; however, when her ninth kill of the evening marked the 1,000th of her career. She became only the 12th player in Bulldog history to reach the milestone and only the fourth to surpass 1,000 career kills alongside at least 300 career blocks.
Truman jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the match and appeared poised to cruise to a 2-0 advantage, taking a 13-3 lead in the second set. However, the Tigers (15-13, 3-10 MIAA) recovered, eventually forcing a tie at 22-apiece. The squads traded points to 25-25 before the Tigers got a kill and a block to take the second frame 27-25.
The Bulldogs played catch-up the entire third set, finally drawing even and then taking the lead at 25-24. The teams again traded points to 27-all and once again it was FHSU coming through – this time with back-to-back kills – to pick up a 29-27 third set win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
However, the fourth set was all Truman, all the time, as a quick 7-3 lead wasn't wasted by the home team en route to a 25-11 fourth set victory. The 'Dogs hit .412 in the set and sided-out at an 83% clip, with four players totaling at least three kills in the set.
After FHSU opened up a 5-3 lead in the fifth and deciding set, the Bulldogs appeared to close to within one, but a rotation error turned what would have been a one-point deficit into a 6-3 Hays lead. The Tigers would make it 7-3 behind a Megan Glandon kill before Truman rattled off five straight and seven of nine to take a 10-9 lead. Hays would grab four of the next five points to regain the lead at 13-12, but a Sharpe kill and back-to-back Tiger errors – punctuated by an Emily Briseno and Heather Hargadine double block – gave the Bulldogs a 15-13 win.
Sharpe's 19 kills came packaged with a .516 hitting percentage and a match-high seven blocks, while Sinclair posted a double-double with 19 kills and 14 digs. Briseno (13) and junior Allyson Stellmach (10) each reached double-figures offensively, while senior Kylie Easlon set a new career-high in assists with 41. Easlon also was one of four Bulldogs with double-figure digs defensively, as Truman was paced by freshman Abby Moser's 37, tying her previous career-high.
The 'Dogs out-dug FHSU 100-88 but were out-blocked by one, 12-11. Truman also dealt five service aces to FHSU's four while holding the Tigers to a .170 attacking percentage.
Yadira Jacquez led the Tigers with 18 kills on 67 swings, while Jenna Ulrich had six blocks (four solo).
Truman returns to action on Wednesday (Nov. 2) night in Warrensburg to battle the 8th-ranked UCM Jennies at 7:00 pm.
