Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 KENNESAW, Ga. -- Wichita State closed out the Kennesaw State Invitational by splitting a pair of five-set matches on Saturday, falling to [RV] Indiana 14-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-12, 15-13 before reverse sweeping Kennesaw State 20-25, 24-26, 25-18, 25-17, 15-12 at the KSU Convocation Center.

Indiana
The Shockers took a 2-1 lead against an Indiana team receiving votes in the top 25 but could not hold off a late Hoosiers rally in the fifth set as Indiana completed the comeback.

In the fifth and deciding set, Alyssa Gonzales gave Wichita State a 6-3 advantage with a well-placed kill. But the Hoosiers scored the next six points, capitalizing on three WSU attack errors and a service error. The Shockers fought back to within one on three separate occasions down the stretch, each time on kills from Morgan Stout, but the Hoosiers got three kills of their own from Candela Alonso-Corcelles to close out the victory.

The loss spoiled an excellent first set from Wichita State, as the Shockers dominated the opening frame to the tune of a 25-14 win. WSU held Indiana to a .000 hitting percentage while finishing at a blistering .409 themselves, thanks to a combined eight kills on nine attempts from Brooklyn Leggett and Gonzales. 

Indiana righted the ship in the second set, pulling away from a 13-13 tie by scoring six of the next seven points to take a 20-14 lead. Wichita State fired back with three straight points to force an Indiana timeout at 20-17, but a pair of kills from Avry Tatum helped the Hoosiers restore order and cruise to a 25-18 win.

The Shockers weaponized the service line in the third set, dropping in five aces with just one error. Reagan Anderson and Izzi Strand both contributed two and Emerson Wilford chipped in one, helping WSU turn a 16-16 tie into a 23-17 lead. The Hoosiers made things interesting by scoring the next four points, but a service error and Leggett kill secured the set and a 2-1 lead.

It was all Hoosiers in the fourth frame, as Indiana grabbed a 12-6 lead and never looked back. The Hoosiers hit .462 in the set and notched three aces, siding out at 84% (11-13). Tatum did the majority of the damage with five kills in six attempts.

Wichita State hit .234 for the match to Indiana's ..275. The Hoosiers tallied nine aces and nine blocks to eight apiece for Wichita State.

Kennesaw State

The Shockers avoided an 0-2 day thanks to a furious comeback against the host Owls. Kennesaw State put together late flurries to claim the first two sets, scoring six straight points in the opener after WSU led 20-19 and closing out the second on a solo block from Ava Garner. Wichita State found their footing in the third frame, committing just one error in hitting .519 while forcing star outside hitter Manu Johnson into five attack errors for Kennesaw State. The Shockers turned a 7-7 tie into a 20-10 lead, eventually clinching the stanza on a Gonzales kill.

It was more of the same in the fourth set, as WSU again separated from a deadlock in the middle stages to roll to a comfortable win. After the Owls pulled even at 9-9, Wichita State scored eight of the next 10 points to grab a 17-11 advantage on a service ace from Katie Galligan, one of four in the set for the Shockers. Stout powered up to the tune of five kills and a solo block, helping the Shockers force a fifth set for the second time on Saturday.

It appeared the Shockers would suffer similar heartbreak when Kennesaw State scored four straight points to take an 11-10 lead, but this time the Shockers had the answer. After Gonzales evened the score with a kill, Wilford and Sarah Barham combined on a block to give WSU a slim 12-11 advantage. Another Owls attack error got the Shockers to the precipice and Leggett capped off a superb match with two more kills to earn the Shockers a hard-fought victory.

Leggett set a career high with 15 terminations in the win, while Stout fired 16 to go along with five blocks. Wilford added 12 kills with three aces and Gonzales nine kills to aid the Wichita State offensive, as the Shockers hit .237 to the Owls .173.

Izzi Strand delivered a match-high 40 assists, while Annalie Heliste set career highs with 18 digs and seven assists.

The Shockers return to play on Wednesday at Kansas. First serve from Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena is scheduled for 6:30 pm.