Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Ashley
Andrade's 13 kills led a trio of Shockers in double digit as Wichita State
knocked off Northern Iowa in four sets to advance the MVC Championship match
tomorrow evening against regular season champion Creighton. The Shockers won by
scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20.
Elizabeth Field and Emily Adney had 12 and 11 kills,
respectively. Chelsey Feekin added 44 assists and 13 digs to set up the Wichita
State attack.
In the first set Northern Iowa (24-9) built a 10-8 lead
getting three kills from Krista Degeest before Wichita State (22-8) score
consecutive points to even the set, 10-10. In a set full of scoring runs
featuring six ties and four lead changes, Wichita State answered with a 7-2 run
to take a 17-12 lead. Kelsey Banwart's service ace coupled with a pair of kills
from Emily Adney keyed the decisive scoring run. With the Shockers leading
21-15, UNI went on a 3-0 run with two kills from Megan Lehman to draw within
three, 21-18. That would be as close as the Panthers would get as a kill by
Driskill and a block from Andrade and Adney started a 4-1 run to close out the
set. Wichita State hit .357 in the set with four kills from Andrade and three
each from Adney and Reilly.
Northern Iowa again built an early lead in second set
winning the first five points and eight of the first ten. Trailing 14-6,
Wichita State got five consecutive attack errors from UNI culminating in
consecutive blocks from Adney and Andrade to draw within three at 14-11. The
Shockers closed to within one on two separate occasions, but were unable to
climb over the hump as UNI responded to even the match, 1-1. The Shockers
hitting percentage dropped to .105 in the set as both teams' offensive attacks
were negated by better defense at the net. Both teams combined for seven blocks
in the set.
In a reversal of fortunes, Wichita State used a 7-2 run in
set three to take the early 9-6 lead. Field was responsible for four kills in
the run. UNI fought back to tie the set, 10-10, but Wichita State answered with
a 5-0 run getting kills from Feekin, Andrade, Adney and Driskill. Driskill's
kill forced a UNI timeout. Out of the timeout the Panthers 4-2 run closed the
Shocker lead to 18-15 but consecutive kills from Sanders and Field negated the
Panther run sending the Shockers on a 4-1 run of their own punctuated with
Driskill's kill. Wichita State's hitting prowess returned in the third set as
they outhit UNI .326-.250. Middle blockers Andrade and Field each had five
kills to lead WSU. Jackie Church had nine digs in the set.
UNI raced out to a 7-5 advantage in the fourth set but
consecutive kills from Adney gave Wichita State an 8-7 lead. The back-and-forth
continued from there with UNI taking three consecutive points followed by a
Wichita State run to tie the set again, 10-10. Wichita State then made the most significant scoring run of
the match with a 10-5 run that proved to be the difference as Wichita State
snapped a ten-match losing streak to the Panthers. Field collected the final
two Shocker points on a pair of kills.
Northern Iowa was led by Macy Ubben's 18 kills.
Wichita State advances to take on Creighton in the Missouri
Valley Conference Tournament championship match tomorrow evening at 7:07 p.m.
-WICHITA STATE-