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RH: WSU Cal Poly

RH: "I Was Going to Put it Away"

9/19/2024 11:00:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop

Wichita State had been in this position several times this season – turning point for the match – and failed.
 
Thursday, the Shockers turned that around in a 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-9) win over Cal Poly at Koch Arena in the Shocker Volleyball Classic. After struggling to score for three sets, they hit .357 and .308 in the final two to rally past the Mustangs, the favorites in the Big West Conference.
 
"We just really depended on one another," middle Morgan Stout said. "Really dialed in and said, 'We're going to do this.'"
 
WSU (4-6) plays Northern Colorado (8-3) at 7 p.m. Friday (ESPN+).
 
The Shocker pin players, hesitant and error-prone in the first three sets, burst to life in the final two. Lanes opened for the hitters, who took more aggressive swings and clicked with setter Izzi Strand for 14 kills in the fourth set and 10 with two errors in the fifth.
 
Alyssa Gonzales recorded eight of her 12 kills in the final two sets, without an error. Emerson Wilford, also errorless, had seven of her 10 kills in the final two sets.
 
"I told Izzi 'turn me up,'" Gonzales said. "It was my way of telling her I was going to put it away."
 
The Shockers broke a 17-all tie – helped by two aces from Reagan Anderson – to finish the fourth set on an 8-4 run. That momentum carried in the final set. The Shockers took a 7-3 lead on Wilford's kill. Stout's kill made it 9-4 and forced a Mustangs timeout. Then Wilford, Brooklyn Leggett and Stout scored to give WSU a 12-4 cushion.
 
The scoring, Lamb said, took its momentum from a defensive change that limited Cal Poly's attackers and wore them down.
 
"They had to work harder and on their scramble swings, we got blocks," he said. "Everybody was grinding, and Alyssa was really, really good tonight. I'm so proud of Gonzo for her execution."
 
 

In the first three sets, Wichita State's blocking provided much of its pop. The Shockers finished with 18 blocks, twice as many as Cal Poly. Middle Sarah Barham led WSU with nine block-assists and one solo. Stout and Wilford both recorded five block-assists.
 
"We weren't really hitting that well," Stout said. "One thing I was able to do was get blocks and help the back row. It was a lot of that mentality."
 
Wichita State snapped a three-match losing streak. Lamb hopes the lessons from a tough schedule – four losses to ranked teams – paid off when the Shockers showed some grit on Thursday.
 
"Tonight, we were close, and we got this one," he said. "I hope we understand that's why you don't quit. I hope we stick with that."
 
 

 Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
 
 
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