Laramie, Wyo -- Wichita State opened the 2022 season with a win over host Wyoming and a loss to #18 Creighton on Friday at the UniWyo Sports Complex.

WYOMING RECAP

Wichita State surged to an early two-sets-to-none lead and then had to fend off a furious Wyoming rally, downing the host Cowgirls 25-15, 25-22, 15-25, 29-31, 15-8.
 
The Shockers (1-0) came out of the gates storming, leading wire-to-wire in set one on the strength of five kills from Sophia Rohling. The Cowgirls pulled within 13-12, but a quick 4-0 spurt from the Shockers extended the lead to five and Wyoming did not threaten the rest of the way. Another 4-0 Wichita State run ended the set, capped off by a service ace from Morgan Weber.
 
Wyoming (0-1) struck first in set two, seizing an early 4-2 advantage before the Shockers rattled off five straight points to seize the initiative. The Cowgirls battled back to take a two-point lead at 15-13 following a Tierney Barlow kill, but WSU answered with five straight, highlighted by a Brylee Kelly service ace and kill on consecutive points. Leading 18-15, the Shockers alternated points to get to 23-19, but Wyoming scored three in a row to claw back within one. A Cowgirls service error and a Natalie Foster kill secured the set for Wichita State at 25-22.
 
The Cowgirls were in control of the third set, beginning with a 6-0 spurt to open the stanza. Wyoming stretched the lead to eight at 14-6, and fended off a pair of late Wichita State rallies to maintain the margin. The Cowgirls grabbed five of the final six points to nail down a 25-15 win and stay alive.
 
The fourth set was a marathon. Wyoming snatched an early 6-2 lead, but a balanced WSU attack helped the Shockers draw even at 13-13. A Cowgirls attack error gave the Shockers a 15-14 lead, but four straight Wyoming points put Wichita State in an 18-15 hole. The two sides alternated points to reach 23-all, and the Shockers ultimately had four different match points that Wyoming fended off. Natalie Foster provided six kills in the set, but after WSU took a 29-28 lead the Cowgirls scored three in a row to force a fifth and deciding set.
 
It was all Shockers in the fifth, beginning with a 5-1 surge. Rohling continued her outstanding match with another kill that forced a Wyoming timeout, and clutch aces from Kayce Litzau and Foster kept the Cowgirls at bay. The Shockers clinched the victory with five straight points, as a Naya Shime attack error gave Wichita State their first win of 2022.
 
Rohling led the way with 20 kills, while Morgan Weber had a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs. Litzau handed out 46 assists to go with her 15 digs, as the Shockers hit .207 to Wyoming's .176.

CREIGHTON RECAP
 
In the nightcap against #18 Creighton, Wichita State fell 25-14, 26-24, 16-25, 25-13.
 
In the opening set, the Shockers (1-1) were all even at 11-11 before the Bluejays unleashed a decisive 10-1 run that put the set out of reach. Wichita State was held to a below-zero hitting percentage, but bounced back with strong performances in sets two and three. Neither side had a lead of larger than three points in the second set before Creighton (2-0) scored three straight to seize a 21-18 edge. They pushed the margin to 24-20, but Wichita State fended off four set points thanks in part to kills from Kelly and Rohling, knotting the score at 24-24. Creighton responded by taking the next two points for a 2-0 lead.
 
Once again the two teams were dead even at 11-11 in set three, but this time the Shockers snagged momentum with a 9-2 flurry that included kills from Foster, Rohling, and Kelly. Leading 20-13, WSU was able to see the set out thanks to a pair of terminations from Weber, as the Shockers claimed a 25-16 win.
 
It was all Bluejays in the fourth, however, as Creighton blitzed WSU with a 9-1 run in the middle stages of the set to take a commanding 18-7 lead. The Shockers would get no closer than nine points the rest of the way, with Creighton rolling to a 25-14 win and the match.
 
Rohling added to her strong performance against Wyoming with 14 more kills, while Brylee Kelly delivered ten of her own in defeat.
 
The Shockers wrap up the Rumble in the Rockies on Saturday against Iowa State, with first serve scheduled for 2:00 pm CT.