Wichita State Athletics

WICHITA, Kan. – After a hot start, Wichita State dropped a four-set battle against Idaho State on Saturday night, falling 3-1 (25-9, 23-25, 22-25, 20-25) in Charles Koch Arena.
 
McKenzie Jones led the Shockers (1-1) with 14 kills on 24 attacks, hitting .375 for the match. Jenna Cubbage added 12 kills, while Maddie Wilson finished with nine kills and a .389 hitting percentage.
 
Wichita State's offense was paced by setters Jordan Heatherly and Addie Oeth. Heatherly recorded 31 assists, while Oeth added 21 as the Shockers finished with 53 assists and 58 kills overall. Attack errors decided the match as the Shockers totaled 32 to the Bengals' 20.
 
The Shockers came out firing in the opening set, hitting .357 as a team while limiting Idaho State (1-1) to a -.107 attack percentage. Wichita State raced to a 25-9 victory, closing the frame on a 10-1 run.
 
Idaho State answered in the second set, overcoming an early Wichita State lead to pull even at 17-17. The Shockers gained a 23-21 advantage before the Bengals scored four-straight on three WSU attack errors and a Mia Walsh kill to claim a 25-23 set two win.
 
The third set featured 12 ties and five lead changes as neither team could gain much separation. Wichita State held a 17-15 advantage before Idaho State responded with a 7-2 run. The Shockers tied the set at 22-22, but the Bengals scored the final three points, including two Jaydin Watts kills, to take a 2-1 match lead.
 
Idaho State carried that momentum into the fourth set, but Wichita State continued to battle. The Shockers trailed 14-16 before Idaho State extended its lead late. A pair of kills from Danielle Moore helped keep Wichita State within striking distance, but the Bengals ultimately closed out the match, 25-20.
 
Olivia Cohee contributed eight kills and 16 digs for the Shockers, and Grace Hett added 16 digs of her own. Allie Paulsen added six kills and three block assists, and Gabi Maas finished with 14 digs.
 
As a team, Wichita State hit .149 for the match and recorded nine blocks, while Idaho State hit .145 and totaled 14 blocks. The match featured 31 tie scores and 16 lead changes.
 
Wichita State returns to action for the final match of the Shocker Volleyball Classic against Missouri State on Sunday, Aug. 30 at noon in Charles Koch Arena.