Stunning comeback gives Wichita State volleyball 2-1 start, first win over Iowa State
For the first time in program history, the Wichita State volleyball team defeated Iowa State on Saturday afternoon to conclude the Rumble in the Rockies tournament in Laramie, Wyo.
The Shockers had come up empty in the previous 11 meetings against the Cyclones, including five matches in the Chris Lamb era, a streak that came to a stunning end when WSU rallied against Iowa State for a come-from-behind, five-set victory (21-25, 25-21, 25-27, 25-23, 15-10).
It marked a 2-1 start to the season following Friday’s results when WSU also needed a fifth set (25-15, 25-22, 15-25, 29-31, 15-8) to take down the host, Wyoming, and suffered a 3-1 defeat to No. 18-ranked Creighton (25-14, 26-24, 16-25, 25-13).
“A win (over Iowa State) goes a long way and honestly that’s why I like playing these types of teams in the non-conference,” Lamb told The Eagle in a phone interview on Saturday. “When you do get these wins, they mean so much. I love watching video of my team against good opponents, and I think these matches do a lot more for growth than beating lesser teams.”
For a team wanting to prove it is no longer a scrappy underdog, knocking off a Big 12 power — Iowa State was picked third by league coaches — can instill the type of swagger that hasn’t been seen around Koch Arena since 2017. The victory could also be a useful chip later in the season for WSU’s quest to return to NCAA tournament play.
Lamb was particularly proud of his team’s resolve after WSU let a 23-19 lead slip away in the third set, instead allowing Iowa State to take the driver’s seat with a 2-1 lead. With the score tied at 23-23 in the fourth set, WSU delivered under pressure when setter Kayce Litzau connected with Sophia Rohling and Natalie Foster for back-to-back kills to force a fifth and decisive set.
WSU took control early, thanks to a pair of kills from Lauren McMahon and an ace by Brylee Kelly, for a 6-3 lead, a cushion the Shockers carried all the way to the finish line when Rohling ended the match with a spike.
Rohling was the star of the weekend for the Shockers in a return-to-form performance after injuries had derailed her last season. The opposite hitter was WSU’s most consistent source of offense with a team-high 49 kills on a tidy .330 hitting percentage, a three-match stretch that was reminiscent of her dominant 2021 spring season.
“I could tell during the spring that Sophia was coming around,” Lamb said. “In double days the last couple of days in practice, she had been dominant, and her and (setter Kayce Litzau) were hooking up on faster-tempo sets. It was pretty great to see. I know she is physical enough to do this and when she has confidence, there’s nothing she can’t do.”
But in order to knock off Iowa State, WSU’s offense needed another jolt that came in the form of a resurgent Kelly, who had been bottled up in the first two matches with nearly as many attacking errors (12) as kills (15).
The all-conference outside hitter was at her best when WSU needed her the most, however, as Kelly posted a team-high 21 kills, 11 digs, five aces and four blocks.
“She’s learning how to ride the wave, the ebbs and the flows, the ups and the downs,” Lamb said. “I know (Friday) she was frustrated, but Iowa State can provide just as much resistance as Creighton defensively and we told her to keep swinging and be high and be physical and it will come. And it did.”
Lamb was also pleased with the level of WSU’s defense on opening weekend, which began in the back row with the superb play of libero Lily Liekweg (42 digs), Litzau (127 assists, 39 digs) and sophomore outside hitter Morgan Weber (20 kills, 30 digs). The team’s block was solidified by Rohling (15 blocks), Lauren McMahon (14 blocks) and Natalie Foster (nine blocks), who also delivered 30 kills in what Lamb described as a new role in the middle for WSU.
Wichita State (2-1) will attempt to build from its strong opening showing this coming week in Omaha, Neb., where the Shockers will play Omaha at 7 p.m. Thursday and Northern Colorado at 5 p.m. Friday.
“So far, so good, on defense,” Lamb said. “We showed that we could hold our own. I just talked to the Iowa State assistant coach and they were very complimentary of our defense. They said, ‘You’ve got it back to how you used to have it. You guys have everything you need to make a great run.’”
Wichita State volleyball team results
Box score for Wichita State’s 3-2 win over Wyoming
Box score for Wichita State’s 3-1 loss to No. 18 Creighton
Box score for Wichita State’s 3-2 win over Iowa State
This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 4:59 PM.
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