Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. -- In a match that featured 39 ties and 15 lead changes in just three sets, it was Wichita State that made the clutch plays to come away with a 30-28, 27-25, 25-21 win over Drake on Wednesday night at Charles Koch Arena.
With the victory, the Shockers advance to the Fab 4 of the NIVC where they will host Montana State on Saturday, December 9 at Charles Koch Arena. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
Wichita State (24-8) got massive performances from Morgan Stout, Izzi Strand and Natalie Foster to survive a gritty Drake team. The win is Wichita State's 34th consecutive victory against the Bulldogs dating back to the 2000 season.
Stout set the tone in the opening set with one of the best individual frames by any Shocker this season. The middle blocker had nine kills on 16 attempts without an error, adding a solo block and two block assists to become the first Wichita State player to score 10 points in a set this season. Wichita State needed every one of them in the longest set of the year; the Shockers had set point at 24-23, 25-24, 27-26, 28-27 and 29-28 before finally putting the Bulldogs away on a kill from Strand, who went on to match a career high with eight terminations.
It was more of the same in the second set, as neither team could extend the lead beyond two points. Drake (24-11) reached set point first after a kill from Macy Daufeldt made it 24-23, but Wichita State stayed alive via kill from Foster, who provided two more in quick succession to give the Shockers a set point opportunity of their own at 26-25. Morgan Weber, who took just two swings all night, drove a ball into the Drake block and down to the floor to give Wichita State a 27-25 win and a 2-0 lead heading to the intermission.
It was another nip and tuck set in the third, with Wichita State clinging to a 19-17 edge late in the frame. The Shockers finally found breathing room with three straight kills, getting terminations from Strand, Stout and Barbara Koehler after a video review overturned the initial ruling of a Drake point. Leading 22-17, the Shockers were able to trade points the rest of the way, finally putting the match to bed on a kill from Sophia Rohling to complete the 12th sweep of the season.
The victory is Wichita State's 12th of the season at home, the most by a Shocker team since the 2013 club went 12-3.Stout finished the match with 14 kills to tie for match-high honors, while Foster continued her absurd stretch of matches with 12 kills and a .522 hitting percentage. The Shockers hit .298 to Drake's .203 thanks to a stellar effort from the WSU block, which turned in 13.0 rejections. Gabi Maas led all players with 17 digs, while Weber joined her in double-figures with 11. The Shockers did not have a service ace but committed just two errors compared to six from Drake.
With Wichita State and Montana State set on one side of the bracket, UTEP awaits the winner of South Florida and Georgia Southern on Thursday night to complete the Fab 4 field.