The RoundHouse | 10/13/2017 10:42:00 PM
By
Paul Suellentrop
For six matches, the American Athletic Conference defenses threw up minimal resistance to Wichita State.
That changed dramatically on Friday with SMU visiting Charles Koch Arena. The Mustangs resisted and libero Montana Watts made plays others had not. The 22
nd-ranked Shockers, however, persisted and won when the opponent forced them into a grinding match.
"Credit SMU, I think, for a pretty good plan," Shocker coach
Chris Lamb said. "I know everybody wants to put up incredible numbers. As a coach, if you can win the ugly ones - I really felt like we were in a fight tonight."
Wichita State (15-3, 7-0 American) took sole possession of first place in the American with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-12, 25-12) win.
The Shockers entered the match hitting .348 in six conference matches. SMU (12-6, 6-1) held the Shockers to a .275 attack percentage, .150 in the first set. The Mustangs shadowed setter
Emily Hiebert and held her to five kills and a .250 attack percentage, her lowest since a 3-2 win over Creighton. SMU allowed Wichita State's pin players few easy looks.
None of that shook the Shockers. They diversified their offense. They gave Lamb the digging performance – a season-high 95 – he badly wanted.
"They're very disciplined and efficient," SMU coach Lisa Seifert said. "They're senior-laden, athletic, long, hard to stop."
As the match wore on, Wichita State's serving disrupted the SMU offense and its efficiency plunged.
"The difference in their team's offense when their setter is four to five feet off the net vs. on (the net) is big," Lamb said. "Our ability to serve tough enough to force them to sort of slow things down and throw it up there started to play into our strengths."
The Shockers used a long-forgotten digging drill this week in practice.
"At first I was really frustrated with it, because I couldn't figure it out," Hiebert said. "Now I love it. It's a lot of chasing after balls and hustle plays and diving on the floor. I saw a lot of us running for more balls and diving for more balls."
Libero
Giorgia Civita led the Shockers with 29 digs.
Hanna Shelton added 17 and
Gabi Mostrom 15.
"I have been begging, begging for digs," Lamb said. "When you don't think it's technique … then it's about effort, desire, the want-to."
The Shockers batted down their top challenger in the American, although it wasn't easy. After six high-efficiency routs, they had to win when things weren't easy.
It doesn't appear there is an American team that can match Wichita State's offensive talent and depth, all expertly orchestrated by Hiebert ("She makes them roll," Seifert said).
If the Shockers continue their defensive improvement, their run atop the standings can continue. That starts with running down balls and diving on the floor in a drill that Shocker coaches reached way back into the practice plans to revive.
"Maybe them seeing they can do it, maybe now they'll have some belief," Lamb said. "We're the top scoring team in the league. If we can hang out and be a part of the top defending teams, you've got to like our chances."
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
