LUBBOCK, Texas -- Wichita State opened the 2023 season with a pair of defeats against Notre Dame (18-25, 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 12-15) and Texas Tech (15-25, 22-25, 25-16, 18-25) on Friday at United Supermarkets Arena.

NOTRE DAME

Wichita State dropped the season opener against Notre Dame after a back-and-forth five sets, 18-25, 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 12-15.
  
The Shockers struggled in the opening set, hitting just .144 while surrendering a trio of Notre Dame aces. A 5-0 Fighting Irish run early in the frame proved to be the difference, as Notre Dame turned a 6-5 deficit into a 10-6 lead that they would not relinquish. The Shockers got as close as 13-12 following a kill from Natalie Foster, but another 5-0 run lengthened the lead out to 18-12 and the Shockers would not get closer than two the rest of the way.
 
Wichita State's offense found its gear in the second set with the insertion of Barbara Koehler into the lineup. The junior college transfer put down six kills in the set to lead all scorers, helping the Shockers to a healthy .300 hitting percentage and a 25-20 win. After an exchange of rallies to open the frame leveled the score at 11-11, WSU embarked on a 9-3 run to take command, highlighted by three kills from setter Izzi Strand. Strand finished the match with eight kills, 44 assists, nine digs and four blocks in her Shocker debut.
 
Natalie Foster powered the Shockers to a comfortable third set victory, hitting .625 on eight swings as Wichita State sized a commanding 17-10 advantage following a 12-3 run. WSU registered a sideout percentage of 73% in the third, their best of the match, as the Shockers kept Notre Dame at arm's length to close out the set and take a 2-1 lead.
 
Notre Dame used a 7-0 run in the opening stages of set four to grab an 8-2 lead, though the Shockers eventually battled back to tie as late as 16-16. Wichita State pulled within one down the stretch on three different occasions (21-20, 22-21, 24-23) but in each case the Fighting Irish responded with a point the restore the cushion. A kill from Charity McDowell clinched the set, sending the match to a fifth frame.
 
Neither team strung together more than two consecutive points at any time during the fifth, which was deadlocked at 11-11 following another Foster kill. Notre Dame got kills from Sydney Palazzolo and Ava Lange to take a 13-11 lead, then Lange put down two more to get the Fighting Irish across the finish line.
 
Palazzolo led all scorers with 24 kills, while Lange added 13 for the Fighting Irish. The Shockers were paced by Koehler's 13 kills, while Stout and Foster added 12 apiece. Brylee Kelly had seven terminations and Emerson Wilford chipped in six, plus a pair of solo blocks. Gabi Maas delivered 19 digs as the Shockers libero.

TEXAS TECH

Wichita State could not shake off a slow start in the nightcap, falling 15-25, 22-25, 25-16, 18-25 to the homestanding Red Raiders.

Morgan Stout set a new career high with 15 kills to lead the Shockers, but WSU was held to a .088 hitting percentage on the evening.

An 8-1 Texas Tech run in the opening set put the Red Raiders in command early, as the Shockers fell into a quick 13-6 hole. WSU got no closer than five in the remainder of the set, as another 8-1 run in the middle stages put the frame out of reach.

WSU controlled much of the second stanza, at one point opening up a 19-13 lead following a solo block from Morgan Weber. Emerson Wilford's kill later in the set made it 22-19, but Texas Tech scored the final six points of the set for a 25-22 win.

The Shockers dominated the third set, banging out 13 kills as a team and hitting .233 while holding Texas Tech to a .108 mark. The Shockers did not have a stretch of more than three consecutive points in the entire set, but used consistent two and three-point bursts to lengthen the lead. A service ace from Natalie Foster and two more Stout kills put a bow on a convincing victory that sent the match into a fourth set.

A tightly contested fourth frame was dead even at 16-16 following consecutive kills from Barbara Koehler, but Texas Tech again found another level down the stretch. The Red Raiders scored nine of the next 11 points, including two aces, to pull away and claim the match.

Foster and Emerson Wilford joined Stout in double figures with 10 kills apiece, while Gabi Maas set a new career high with 25 digs. Izzi Strand notched 41 helpers and 10 digs of her own.

The Shockers conclude the Under Armour Challenge on Saturday morning against Houston Christian. First serve is scheduled for 11:30 am.