Wichita State Athletics

WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State volleyball turned in a strong all-around performance Sunday afternoon, sweeping Missouri State, 25-23, 25-22, 25-16, at Charles Koch Arena.
 
The Shockers improved to 2-1 on the season with the 3-0 victory, while Missouri State fell to 1-2. Wichita State hit .277 as a team and held the Bears to a .182 attacking percentage. The Shockers also finished with an 8-6 advantage in total team blocks.
 
Maddie Wilson led the Wichita State attack with 14 kills on 21 attempts without an error, hitting .667 for the match. She added five block assists and finished with a team-high 17.5 points. McKenzie Jones added 11 kills while hitting .400, and Olivia Cohee chipped in eight kills and seven digs.
 
Jordan Heatherly orchestrated the offense with 22 assists, while libero Gabi Maas recorded 15 digs. Wichita State also received six digs each from Wilson and Heatherly.
 
The opening set featured 12 ties and five lead changes before Wichita State rallied late. Missouri State built a 19-16 advantage, but the Shockers ended the set on an 8-1 run, including three-straight kills, courtesy of Jenna Cubbage and Jones, to fend off the Bears in a 25-23 win.
 
Wichita State carried the momentum into the second set, but Missouri State again kept the margin tight. The Bears led 16-15 before the Shockers scored four straight to move in front, 19-16. Missouri State answered to tie the set at 19-19, but Wichita State kept battling with kills from Danielle Moore, Jones and Wilson. A Wilson and Cohee block gave the Shockers set point at 24-22, and a Wilson kill from Heatherly finished the set, 25-22.
 
The third set belonged to the Shockers. Wichita State turned an 8-6 lead into a 13-8 advantage and never looked back. The Shockers hit .359 in the final frame, recording 17 kills against just three errors while siding out at a 75 percent clip. Wilson delivered six kills on nine swings in the third set alone, while Jones added four kills and Cohee three. Wichita State closed the match on a 4-0 run, with Wilson providing the final kill to complete the sweep.
 
The Shockers finished the afternoon with 46 kills, 41 assists and 50 digs. Wichita State served at a .932 reception percentage and limited Missouri State to a .182 hitting percentage.
 
Wichita State's Wilson and Jones, Idaho State's Mia Walsh and Jaydin Watts, Missouri State's Hannah Gardner and Stephen F. Austin's Caroline Kahle were named to the 2026 Shocker Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team.
 
Wichita State returns to action with its first road test, taking on No. 23 Colorado and Big Sky preseason favorite Northern Colorado on Friday and Saturday, Sept 4-5 in Boulder, Colo.