LAWRENCE – Wichita State used dominant first and fourth sets to close out Kent State, 3-1, Friday morning in their Kansas Invitational opener at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena: 25-15, 25-20, 22-25, 25-14.
 
Sophia Rohling hit .342 with 18 kills to lead the Shockers, who are 4-0 for the fourth time in the last five seasons. They'll take on host Kansas later this evening (7 p.m. CT) on ESPN+.
 
Lauren McMahon set a new career-high with 11 kills on 19 swings (.474) and Kailin Newsome added a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs.
 
Defensively, Lily Leikweg supplied 20 digs and Kayce Litzau set a new career-high with 43 assists.
 
The Shockers hit .269 as a team and held Kent State (3-5) to .203.
 
WSU finished with a season-best 10 serves aces, with Liekweg and Natalie Foster accounting for three-apiece.
 
WSU evened the all-time series with Kent State at 1-1, avenging the 1997 Shockers.
 
Chris Lamb notched his 449^th career victory (449-205, .687).
 

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First Set: WSU, 25-15
McMahon recorded kills on all six of her swings and Kayce Litzau and Lily Liekweg combined for five service aces in a lopsided opening set. The Shockers scored the first eight points of the match and outhit Golden Flashes .286 to .179 while committing just three errors. They converted points on over 70 percent of their service opportunities (.708).
 
Second Set: WSU, 25-20
WSU faced its first deficit of the match (8-5) but responded with a 6-0 run, fueled by three Kailin Newsome kills. Newsome finished the set with a team-high five kills on just six attempts. Litzau supplied 15 assists, and the Shockers outhit KSU, .355 to .192. WSU forced sideouts on 15 of KSU's 20 serves (.750).
 
Third Set: KSU, 25-23
The Shockers fell behind 14-7, rallied back to take a 19-17 lead, then ultimately faltered.  Helped by four WSU attack errors, the Golden Flashes mounted an 8-4 counter-strike to close out the set and stay alive in the match. Danie Tyson led KSU with six kills on nine swings. Rohling paced the Shockers with six kills on 16 attempts.
 
Four Sets: WSU, 25-14
WSU scored the first five points in a wire-to-wire win. Rohling managed five kills on six swings, and Sophie Childs added four more kills for the Shockers, who hit .314 and held KSU to .062.