DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU volleyball team defeated the American Athletic Conference defending champion Wichita State in five sets in Moody Coliseum Friday night (25-16, 22-25, 16-25, 25-14, 17-15). Five Mustangs scored at least 10 kills, led by freshmen Ryan Palmieri and Rachel Woulfe, who each scored 13 kills.

SMU scored three straight, with two kills by its star freshmen, at the end of the fifth set for a 17-15 win. The victory is the fourth straight home victory for the Mustangs. SMU rode the momentum from a fourth set win to an 8-4 lead at the switch, but Wichita State scored the next four after the break to tie the score.

The Mustangs kept the advantage until the Shockers scored back-to-back points to take a 15-14 lead, erasing SMU's first attempt to win the match. Woulfe scored a kill to keep Wichita State from taking the win. Meryn Kennedy gave SMU the lead back with a solo block, SMU's 10th of the match, setting the stage for Palmieri to end it with a kill on the next serve.

Kennedy finished the match with 12 kills and five blocks. Lexi Nordmann scored 10 kills with five blocks, and Brittany Adams added 10 kills. The senior had 21 of SMU's 104 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. Montana Watts led all players with 30 digs, one shy of her career high. Freshman Lily Heim had 27 assists and 12 digs for her third double-double, and Kendall Patterson posted 26 assists with 19 digs.

As a team, SMU (7-11, 4-4 The American) hit .223 with 67 kills, while Wichita State scored 56 kills on a .163 attack percentage. The Shockers match SMU with 10 blocks, but had only 85 digs. SMU scored four points on service aces, three by freshman Bria' Merchant, while committing just one receive error.

The Mustangs won 25-14 in the fourth set to extend the match. With four blocks and 18 kills, while limiting Wichita State to nine kills, SMU cruised to the victory. The score was tied, 7-7, before SMU went on an 11-3 run, taking an eight-point lead. The Shockers never threatened again.

Wichita State took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-16 win in the third set. The Shockers hit .265 with four blocks. SMU matched Wichita State with 11 kills in the set, but committed 10 errors, including the four blocks.

The Mustangs hit .319 in the first set with 16 kills and only one error en route to a 25-16 win. Palmieri and Brunstein led the way with four kills each. SMU had 33 digs in the set, with three players posting eight or more, to hold Wichita State to a .086 attack percentage. With a 9-8 lead, SMU went on a 9-3 run, taking control with an 18-11 lead.

Wichita State held off SMU in the second set, winning 25-22 to tie the match at one set each. The Shockers took an 18-12 lead, but the Mustangs rallied back. SMU went on 5-0 run to cut the lead to one, 20-19. After Wichita State scored, Kennedy scored her third kill during the stretch, and Nordmann and Woulfe followed with a block to tie the score, 21-21. SMU was unable to take the lead, however, and Wichita State ended the set with a 4-1 run.

The Mustangs host Tulsa Sunday at 1 p.m. The match is part of SMU's Mustangs Stampede Cancer campaign in conjunction with the American Cancer Society.