Oct. 21, 2011

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD -

The Missouri State volleyball team began the second half of the Missouri Valley Conference season Friday with a 3-1 loss to Wichita State at Hammons Student Center. Set scores in favor of the Shockers were 25-22, 11-25, 25-23 and 25-17.

Missouri State fell to 15-6 overall and 8-2 in league play, staying one game ahead of the Shockers (13-7, 7-3) in the standings thanks to a 3-0 victory against WSU earlier in the season in Wichita.

The Bears had 13 more kills (57-44), 23 more digs (61-38) and led by five points at the service line while limiting the MVC hitting percentage leaders to a .197 efficiency, but were doomed by 33 total attack errors, 17 of which were blocked by the Shockers, leading to a .168 hitting percentage.

The Shockers had six blocks in the first set to overcome a 15-12 deficit in kills for a three-point win. Wichita State led 19-13 when the Bears made a late charge thanks to freshman Olivia Brand cutting the MSU deficit to two points on three occasions, the last at 21-19, and classmate Kaitlin Jaeger pulling the Bears within one with a kill for a 22-21 score. Calli Norman added a kill for 23-22 before WSU scored the final two points to win.

Missouri State hit .385 and held WSU to five kills and -.057 hitting in the second set on the way to the most lopsided result of the season for either squad. After the Shockers opened up with a 3-0 lead, the Bears outscored the visitors 25-8 the rest of the way, including a 13-0 run with Shelby Strang at the service line to get all the way to set point from a 11-10 score.

Wichita State jumped ahead 9-4 in the third set and Missouri State closed the gap to a single point six times before the second of two Kelley Michnowicz kills tied the set at 20-all. Norman scored for a 21-21 tie and Karen Rivatto's kill made for a 22-21 MSU lead. Amber Doolittle added another kill for a 23-23 score but the Shockers tallied the final two points for the win.

WSU snagged another quick lead in the fourth, this time at 9-5, and after Brand's two kills sparked a tying 4-0 run, the Shockers went on a 9-2 run for an 18-11 lead. Missouri State pulled to 18-13, but WSU answered with a 3-0 run and sided out for the win, forcing the Bears into 11 attack errors and a .029 hitting percentage in the period.

Strang matched a career high with 16 digs and Rivatto had 13 kills and 10 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. Norman added 12 kills, Brand had 10 and Carly Thomas dished out 50 assists.

Missouri State returns to action next Friday (Oct. 28) with a 7 p.m. home match against league-leading UNI.