WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State used a dominant stretch from the end of the first set into the second to coast past South Florida, 25-17, 25-18, 25-17 on Sunday afternoon at Charles Koch Arena.
 
Late in the first set, South Florida (6-9, 0-4) trailed by just a single point at 17-16 following a Wichita State service error. From that moment on, Wichita State (7-6, 1-3) claimed 17 of the next 18 points, rolling to the win in set one and taking a commanding 9-0 lead in set two. The Shocker block played a big part in the surge, combining for nine blocks on the match while consistently generating deflections or altering South Florida swings.
 
Wichita State held the Bulls to just a .044 hitting percentage on the afternoon, forcing 22 attack errors over the course of three sets.
 
Even after taking the commanding lead in set two, the Shockers had to fend off a late South Florida rally, as the Bulls battled back to within 22-18 before Wichita State fired off three straight points to end the set.
 
Natalie Foster played a big role in fending off the charge, picking up five kills on just eight attacks in the set, while also adding three block assists.
 
Another early salvo in set three put the Shockers in the driver's seat, as Wichita State sprinted to a 7-1 lead and would never look back. Statistically, set three was WSU's most impressive across the board, as the Shockers hit a match-best .407 while holding South Florida to -.069.
 
Kayce Litzau put together her second strong performance of the weekend, flipping 35 assists and helping the Shockers to an overall .333 hitting percentage. Freshman Sophie Childs came off the bench to lead the team with ten kills, while Brylee Kelly and Foster finished with nine apiece.
 
Wichita State hits the road next week for matches at Memphis and SMU. First serve of Friday's tangle with the Tigers is scheduled for 6:00 PM.