Before Friday night, Wichita State volleyball had never lost a set against Temple University in Charles Koch Arena.
That streak of sweeps has ended, but the Shockers still came away with a 3-1 win (25-20), (20-25), (25-16), (27-25). Wichita State improved its American Athletic Conference (AAC) record to 2-0 and evened its season record at 7-7, while Temple lost its first conference game and dropped to 6-7 overall. The win was WSU’s sixth straight against the Owls.
“I think we’re just starting to click as a team,” redshirt freshman outside hitter Alyssa Gonzales said.
Offensive production, which had been a concern for Wichita State throughout non-conference play, has improved in the first two AAC games. The Shockers went 11 straight games without hitting above .300, but have done so in the first two games of conference play, including a .302 mark vs. Temple.
The Owls, meanwhile, struggled offensively, hitting just .169 for the game and under .100 in two sets. Four Wichita State players ended with more than 10 digs.
Wichita State head coach Chris Lamb said despite the improvements on offense, he wants to see the team finish more on their first kill attempt rather than win on long rallies.
“We’ve got firepower, but we need first-ball firepower,” he said. “We are winning in rallies, but we’ve got to terminate more off-service. So this is why we are making things closer than what (the box score) would suggest.”
Wichita State opened the game with a 6-0 run, with much of the damage being self-inflicted by Temple. The Owls looked discombobulated early but recovered to chip away at the Shocker margin. A 6-1 rally cut the lead to 3 points, 20-17, but Wichita State was able to recover and win the set.
“You usually feel like you can demoralize some people, but hats off to Temple,” Lamb said. “They didn’t go away.”
The Shockers took an early lead again in the second set and kept Temple at bay most of the way. The home team got a little sloppy while retaining a narrow advantage, like a pompous parent playing with their child. But sometimes, the kid wins.
“I feel like we got way too comfortable,” sophomore middle blocker Maddie Wilson said. “Because the first set we were like … dominating them … (We were) a little too confident, and probably made some stupid errors we could have kept down.”
An 8-1 run from the Owls gave them a 19-16 lead. An emphatic kill from Wilson ended the bleeding, but after a back-and-forth, Temple ended on a 4-0 run to win the set.
Wichita State came out with noticeably more energy in the third frame, jumping out to an 11-4 lead after a 5-0 run. Temple never cut the margin within four from there, as the Shockers ran away with the set. Wichita State hit .450 during the period compared to Temple’s .033.
Neither team could find an advantage in a fourth set, which featured numerous lengthy rallies. With Wichita State down 9-8, the team pulled off multiple difficult digs to extend the point. Gonzales finished with a kill to tie the game.
The fourth set also featured a few lengthy challenges from both teams. After an unsuccessful challenge by Temple, the Shockers went on a 6-1 run to take the lead, 22-20.
Temple had set point, 24-23, but a service error sent the game to extra points. Then, it was Temple’s turn to fend off match point, doing so once before kills by Gonzales and Wilson closed the game.
Four Wichita State players finished the game with more than 10 kills. Gonzales led the way with a career-high of 17, while junior outside hitters Emerson Wilford and Brooklyn Leggett had 13 and 12, respectively. Senior middle blocker Morgan Stout was the last entrant into the double-digit club with 10 kills.
Gonzales celebrated her career day in front of her parents and brothers, who made the more than five hour drive from Texas to watch the game, yell in support and wave big signs in the crowd.
“When I walked out and I saw the sign, I had the biggest smile on my face,” Gonzales said. “And I just love my family, so I’m just excited to go out tonight with them.”
Wilson added eight kills and four blocks, although her actual impact on the court seemed to outnumber her statistical output.
“I personally think I bring a lot of energy, regardless if it’s just me scoring, and so I feel like I bring that big presence on the court,” Wilson said. “And even when I do score, everyone gets pretty hyped about it.”
The Shockers will look to continue their winning run in the conference on Friday, Oct. 4 when they travel to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The first serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
