CINCINNATI, Ohio – Wichita State took a two-sets-to-one lead but could not hold off Cincinnati, as the Bearcats rallied for a 25-20, 21-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-6 win at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.
 
It was the seventh five-set match for Wichita State (17-9, 11-6) in American conference play, and the tenth overall.
 
The Shockers picked apart Cincinnati's defense through the first three sets, hitting .222, .306 and .390 in taking the 2-to-1 lead. But the Bearcats (16-9, 11-6) stifled the Shocker attack in set four, holding WSU to a .079 hitting percentage. The fifth set was all Bearcats, as the Shockers fell behind 7-1 and never recovered.
 
WSU got good nights offensively from Brylee Kelly, Sophia Rohling and Natalie Foster, who put up 15, 14, and 12 kills, respectively. Kayce Litzau handed out 48 assists and tied Lily Liekweg for the team high in digs with 15.
 
The Bearcats pulled away late in a tight first set, rapping out three successive points to extend their lead to 20-16, and the Shockers never got closer than three the rest of the way. WSU fell into an early hole in the second set but fired back, turning a 14-9 deficit into a 19-18 lead as part of a 7-0 run at the service line for Bryn Stansberry. A kill from Litzau wrapped up the set, evening the match at one apiece.
 
A big WSU run in the heart of set three proved to be the difference, with the Shockers claiming seven of eight points highlighted by two kills from Foster and a Kelly service ace. Late in the set Cincinnati nearly completed an improbable comeback, pulling to within 24-23 on three straight points, but Morgan Weber provided the winning kill.
 
The Shockers held a brief 11-10 lead in the fourth set, but Cincinnati scored the next three and would not trail for the remainder of the match.
 
Wichita State plays their final road match of the regular season on Sunday at East Carolina. First serve is scheduled for 11:00 AM and can be streamed live on ESPN+.