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The Pittsburg State volleyball team gave it their all but lost a pair of games at the University of Nebraska Kearney and Fort Hays State University.
First up for the Gorillas was a tall task: playing at the University of Nebraska Kearney, where the Lopers were ranked as the number 15 ranked team in the nation.
The first set seemed to be difficult for the Gorillas to get in the groove of things, as the Lopers ended up winning by a score of 11-25.
“I think we struggled executing offensively this weekend,” said senior middle hitter Hope White. “We weren’t scoring off our attack as much as we should have been and that made our team have to be on defense a lot.”
The second and third set showed some improvement, but the Gorillas still lost the pair by scores of 14-25 and 14-25. The Gorillas were lead in kills by Meg Auten (12), and Marissa Bates lead the team in digs (19).
The Gorillas didn’t want the Kearney game to stay fresh in their heads since they had another road matchup against the Tigers of Fort Hays State the following day.
Playing on the road is always hard in college athletics, but since the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) is one of the top conferences in the nation, the Gorillas knew they had to be prepared when stepping onto Fort Hays’ home court.
“It is very difficult to play on the road in the MIAA, and each team in this conference gains momentum when having home court advantage,” senior libero Marissa Bates said.
The Gorillas had a much better match against the Tigers on the scoreboard, but it wasn’t enough to come out victorious.
To begin the first set, Fort Hays came out on a tear, scoring the first four points of the game, and eventually gained a lead of 8-17. The Gorillas weren’t going to quit though and went on a 5-0 run to bring the score to 13-17. The set went back and forth with both teams making runs, but the Tigers ended up winning the set 23-25.
The second and third set were also very close, but both were in favor of the Tiger’s by scores of 21-25 and 23-25.
The Gorillas still have time to prepare for the MIAA tournament, where they think they have the potential to make a run and shock some people.
“I do still think we have a chance,” said head coach Jen Gomez. “We just have to get back to being better offensively and score more runs of points.”
Coach Gomez isn’t the only one who has high hopes.
“We absolutely have a great chance to make a run in the MIAA tournament, as we have the drive and the competitive nature to do so,” Bates said. “We also have the players we need to match up well against our opponents and perform when needed.”
The Gorillas currently sit in sixth place in the conference and the tournament will be held on Nov. 16, 19, and 20.
The Gorillas have another road game at the University of Central Oklahoma on Oct. 19, followed by two home games on Oct. 22 and 23.