Box Score (PDF)
WICHITA, Kan. - SMU fell to Wichita State in four sets (22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-19) on Friday evening. SMU started the match off on the right foot taking the opening set with some hot hitting and tough defense, but a roller coaster of a second set went in the hands of the Shockers. Two toughly battled sets down the stretch ended in favor of WSU as the Shockers finished with 14 blocks. Despite the loss, Jadyn Bauss collected her sixth double-double on the night with 10 kills and 14 digs.

Hannah Jacobs led SMU with 12 kills. Rachel Woulfe and Winkler both added eight kills for the Mustangs. Defensively Merchant and Zairyn Hemsley followed behind Buass with 10 kills each. Lily Heim finished with a game-high 33 assists. Merchant tabbed a season-high three service aces on the evening, while Alex Glover matched a career-high six block assists in the match.

The Mustangs (4-3, 0-3 AAC) came out of the gate on fire as they were able to take a 4-1 lead to open the match. Bria' Merchant helped spur this run with two service aces from the line. Wichita State (8-0, 3-0 AAC) calmed the storm and eventually tied the match at 16. SMU regained and pushed its lead to 23-18 and looked to be in complete control of the set after Kaylyn Winkler and Bauss both knocked down some kills. Out of the timeout, three errant attacks by SMU gave the Shockers an outside chance for a comeback.  After the Mustangs' timeout, Winkler came up clutch with a block assist and a kill to give SMU the first set.

The second set was unlike any other. Both teams had 10-0 runs, which is rare in a match, but especially in one set alone. WSU took an 11-2 lead and later extended its lead to 17-7 as the set advanced, but this is when the tide turned. Four different Mustangs recorded a kill on their own ten to zero run to knot the set up at 17. The Shockers took eight of the final nine points to win the set and tie the match up a one a piece after this back-and-forth battle. WSU outlasted SMU in the final two sets and limited the Mustangs to a .107 hitting percentage on the night to take the conference match.

UP NEXT
SMU and Wichita State will rematch on Saturday at 12 p.m. on ESPN+.

Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 – 12 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats
SMU NOTES (PDF)
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