Wichita State tops host Northern Iowa to reach MVC volleyball final
One match into postseason play, Wichita State volleyball coach Chris Lamb is still seeing new traits revealed within his team.
Toughness was the word that stuck in the veteran coach’s head as the Shockers snapped a string of seven consecutive set losses this season to Northern Iowa and secured a true road comeback in the semifinals of Friday’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Defending champion Wichita State rallied from a set down by winning the key points down the stretch in sets two and three en route to win over UNI 15-25, 26-24, 26-24, 25-21 in front of 2,435 fans inside the McLeod Center. WSU faces Missouri State in Saturday afternoon’s final.
Sophomore outside hitter Tabitha Brown provided the Shockers (23-7) with a spark, while her senior protégé Jody Larson’s steady arm proved crucial in helping Wichita State win the key points to flip momentum. Brown finished with a match-high 16 kills, and Larson recorded 21 digs to go with 12 kills. Outside hitter Mikaela Raudsepp also had 13 kills as Wichita State overcame a rough first set of six kills and eight attack errors with 51 kills versus 14 errors over the final three sets against a Northern Iowa team that won the two regular season meetings.
Lamb felt the intangibles provided his team with its biggest challenge in this matchup.
“When we go back and look at it, they’re faster than us, they defend better than us,” the coach said. “I’d say they’ve got us in volleyball IQ. They’ve been in that system for a couple of years. There’s uncomfort mistakes for us. “
Facing an 0-2 deficit as UNI used a 6-1 run to take a 23-22 lead in set two, that’s when Lamb saw his team fight back.
“I said I think we’re good enough to beat Northern Iowa, I don’t know if we’re tough enough to beat Northern Iowa,” Lamb said. “I don’t know what to do about it, I just know when I see it, I’ll know it’s there. ... Flipping the second set, I just think that’s an example of fighting and not giving up.”
Larson, the first team all-conference selection, helped flip set two with kills to tie the score at 23 and 24 before a Brown solo block on UNI’s right pin gave the Shockers a set point prior to an errant Panther attack.
Wichita State rallied from down 21-17 to earn a set point after back-to-back kills from Larson and Brown in the pivotal third set. Brown produced a second set point opportunity when her second down-line swing went unreturned and a UNI attack error gave the Shockers the lead.
“Playing UNI it’s a fight every time you step on the court,” Larson said. “As a team we’re never giving up. Whoever gets the ball we know we’ve got to put it away. All of us were doing a great job of executing in crunch time.
“ I think our team showed some grit tonight and it’s great to see this time of year. We came to compete.”
Brown agreed, “It was really a fight for all of us. We’re all so tired and these are some pretty long rallies and you have to execute on every last move. We really had to muscle it through.”
The play of Wichita’s outside hitters was crucial as the Shocker middles Abbie Lehman and Katy Dudzinski finished with more errors than kills. MVC Setter of the Year Emily Hiebert also contributed on offense with 10 kills to go with her 37 assists and eight digs.
Libero Dani Mostrom matched the scrappy UNI back row as she tallied a career-high 31 digs, an effort her coach can’t wait to praise.
“Dani passed her way into the libero job,” Lamb said. “I’ve always been real tough on her as a digger.
“There’s a lot of girls that out-dig her in the Valley. She’s had to work at that and this year she’s made huge strides. ... For her to get her career high digs here of all places in a win, I’ll make sure she hears that and that will be one for her to cherish forever.”
Wichita State will face top seed Missouri State at 4 p.m. Saturday in the conference championship match as the Shockers look to win their third league tournament title in the last four years.
“We expect it,” Larson said of the championship opportunity. “That’s our goal. To be here and playing against Missouri State we’ve been prepared for this and we’re ready.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2016 at 11:12 PM with the headline "Wichita State tops host Northern Iowa to reach MVC volleyball final."