Wichita State Athletics

DALLAS – Brylee Kelly's 29 kills led a relentless Wichita State offensive attack, as the Shockers knocked off SMU 22-25, 25-16, 25-20, 22-25, 15-8 for their third straight victory.
 
The 29 kills for Kelly are the second most in program history, one shy of Emily Stockman's 30 on November 27, 2009 against Missouri State. Brylee's 30.5 points are also the second most in the modern WSU record book, just a half-point back of Stockman's 31.0 recorded on the same day against Missouri State.
 
Kelly racked up six kills in the first and second sets, nine in the third, five in the fourth, and three in the decisive fifth set.
 
Wichita State (9-6, 3-3) hit a blistering .301 for the match, including two sets of better than .420, as the Shockers racked up 70 kills. In addition to Kelly's stellar performance, Natalie Foster hammered home 17 kills of her own to establish a new season high. She finished the weekend swing with 33 total kills on 58 attacks, committing just five errors.
 
Kayce Litzau set a new career best with 61 assists, adding 13 digs and five total blocks in another well-rounded performance from the sophomore setter.
 
Despite Wichita State grabbing a 6-2 lead to open the first set, SMU (7-9, 3-3) battled back on the strength of a 6-0 run that included three kills from Jamison Wheeler. The score was tied 15-15 before the Mustangs fired off three quick points for a lead they held the rest of the way.
 
The second set was also tightly contested in the middle stages, tied at 9-9 before the Shockers went on a seven-point spurt, featuring two Kelly kills and a pair of Shocker blocks. SMU never got closer than four points the rest of the way, as Litzau's solo block capped off a dominant set that evened the match at one apiece.
 
Another big WSU run proved pivotal in the third set, as the Shockers turned a 7-6 lead into 15-8 with a balanced attack that included kills from five different Shockers. Foster finished with five kills in the set, including the winner after SMU had clawed back to within 24-20.
 
SMU turned the tide in the fourth set, limiting WSU to a match-worst .175 hitting percentage. Despite that, the Shockers found themselves within 23-21 after back-to-back blocks from Sophia Rohling, who came off the bench to provide a spark late in the match. The Mustangs used a WSU service error and a Hannah Jacobs kill to force the fifth and deciding set.
 
The Shockers dominated set five from the opening point, sprinting to a 6-0 lead and never allowing SMU to within four the rest of the way. WSU hit .429 for the set, getting help from Lily Liekweg's third service ace of the match to build a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Liekweg paced the Shockers defensively with 20 digs, while Bryn Stansberry chipped in 15 for a new season high.
 
Wichita State returns to Charles Koch Arena on Friday night for a matchup with East Carolina. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 PM and can be streamed live on ESPN+.