Tiger rough it for volleyball scrimmage
By CONOR NICHOLL
The Fort Hays State University volleyball team didn't play in ideal conditions in its Black and Gold scrimmage Saturday morning.
Because of ongoing bleacher and seating construction at Gross Memorial Coliseum, the Tigers moved to the Hays Recreation Center and played under a low ceiling. Balls often ricocheted off light fixtures and ceiling.
"We had a lot of points scored just on random bounces that would have been great digs," Tiger coach Steve Smith said.
The change in venue, though, further solidified several positives for a squad expected to be the strongest since Fort Hays joined the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association three years ago.
"I think our ball control with first contact and our defensive intensity is beyond the teams that I have had here in the past three years," Smith said. "I think athletically we are also superior to the teams that we have had here in the past.
"As far as negatives, some like with the communication breakdowns, but that is just usually with younger players that will take care of itself with time," he added.
Fort Hays played for about 90 minutes, the first time the public has seen the new Tigers.
Smith split his top players to form two evenly-matched teams. The setters were also rotated so each player could hit off each setter.
"I tried to balance out the offense and defense as much as possible," Smith said.
The Tigers, who open play Friday against Texas' Abilene Christian at the West Texas A&M tournament in Canyon, Texas, are trying to make a leap in the conference standings with a new lineup and recruiting class.
Fort Hays finished 16-17 overall and 2-11 in the MIAA last fall.
The Tigers have won three conference matches in two years since Fort Hays switched from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to the MIAA, one of the toughest Div. II volleyball conferences in the nation.
In the preseason coaches' poll, Fort Hays was picked ninth in the 11-team conference.
Five MIAA teams were selected in the top 17 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll, headlined by Washburn University at No. 2 and Truman State (Mo.) University, third.
The Tigers will try to post the first .500 or better season since 2004.
"It is going really good," junior right side Lydia Karnopp said. "We have improved a lot over the past year, not just physically, but mentally. We get along so much better and we have so much fun out here. I am really excited."
Smith called his seven-player recruiting class "probably the strongest we had" in his four years, a class that will likely see several starting roles.
"We haven't decided on a starting six, there are obviously a couple players that are going to be playing," Smith said. "It's a good problem to have because we are pretty deep in each spot."
Two virtual locks for starting jobs are senior setter and Hays High School graduate Whitney Hoffman and senior LeAnn Roberts, a returning all-MIAA honorable mention middle hitter.
"The positives is the leadership from the upperclassmen," Smith said.
Saturday also yielded a look at junior outside hitter Lilian Rezende, a transfer from Cowley County Community College and a NJCAA Div. II All-American. Rezende will likely start for Fort Hays.
"The new players are terrific," Karnopp said.
Even in the smaller HRC gym, freshman Rebecca Mausbach, a 6-foot-2 middle/outside hitter, also performed well on Saturday.
"We can throw her in any of the three front row positions," Smith said.
"It is just an imposing presence there. It gives us a lot of nice options."
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