KENNESAW, Ga. -- Wichita State overcame a bumpy opening set to take down Kennesaw State 21-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-19 in the 2024 season opener on Friday afternoon at KSU Convocation Center.

The Shockers (1-0) hit a blistering .436 for the match and committed one or zero attack errors in three of the four sets. Emerson Wilford matched her career high with 15 kills, one of six Shockers who recorded six or more terminations.

Neither team could slow down the other in the first, as the Owls (0-1) hit .533 on 30 attempts while WSU finished at a .522 clip on 23 swings. Kennesaw State was able to fashion a four-point advantage in the middle stages, leading 13-9 and later 21-17 with help from six Manu Johnson kills. The Shockers scored consecutive points to cut the KSU lead to 21-19 and force an Owls timeout, but Kennesaw State scored the next two points to restore their cushion and traded points the rest of the way to close out the opener.

The Shockers responded quickly in the second set, seizing a quick 10-4 lead. Kennesaw State used a 4-0 spurt to pull within 14-12, but Wilford poured in several of her five kills in the set to push the advantage to 21-14. A pair of KSU service errors set the table for another Wilford kill that evened the match at one set apiece. WSU did not make an attack error in the set, going 14-for-24 while adding four blocks to keep the Owls at bay.

The third set was up for grabs, tied 12-12 at the midway point, before Wichita State unleashed a devastating run of seven consecutive points to snatch control. Morgan Stout contributed a pair of emphatic kills and the Shockers forced KSU's Manu Johnson into two attack errors, swelling the lead to 18-12. WSU never let the Owls back into the set, maintaining at least a five-point margin the rest of the way. Sarah Barham found the range with four kills on five swings and Brooklyn Leggett chipped in three terminations on four attempts.

It was a sluggish start to the fourth set for Wichita State, as the Shockers trailed 6-1 out of the gate with two Kennesaw State aces mixed in. WSU still trailed 16-11 before a crucial 7-1 run flipped the script; three Owl attack errors, combined with a pair of Wilford kills and one from Stout, gave the Shockers their first lead at 18-17. Wichita State got a huge contribution from true freshman Grace Hett, who came off the bench late in the fourth and notched two aces to help WSU to a 23-18 lead. Johnson committed two more hitting errors for the Owls to clinch the set and a season-opening win for the Shockers.

Senior Annalie Heliste set a new career high with 14 digs at libero, joined in double-figures by Katie Galligan with 11. Stout led all players with one solo block and five block assists. Izzi Strand had a well-rounded 2024 debut, dishing out 42 assists to go along with six kills and seven digs.

The Shockers continue the Kennesaw State Invitational on Saturday against [RV] Indiana. First serve is scheduled for 10:00 am CT.