MATCH STATS
- (RV) Wichita State def. Tulane 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-16)
- (RV) Wichita State improves to 13-3 (5-0, AAC); Tulane falls to 12-6 (1-4, AAC)
- New Orleans, Louisiana (AAC Match)
- Attendance: 339
- Box Score
New Orleans, Louisiana – Wichita State continues to stay perfect in their inaugural American Athletic Conference season following a road sweep of Tulane.
The Shockers had a well-balanced and efficient offense that hit .351 in the match with Tabitha Brown (14 kills, .324, 10 digs) and Alex Koon (10 kills, .500) as the biggest recipients from setter Emily Hiebert (38 assists, 10 digs, three blocks). For Tulane, Markenzie Benoit (eight kills, .333, five blocks) impressed, but couldn’t get a ton of help around her.
The first set was the closest at 25-23 as Tulane jumped in front 17-10. An 8-0 Wichita State spurt quickly changed things though – not just for the set, but for the match. From there, the Shockers would take a tight first and roll through the second and third sets at 25-16 each.
Tulane was held to a .144 mark in a match that didn’t feature many aces or blocks. That compared to the .351 of Wichita State was enough for the match to end in a sweep.
Next up, Wichita State stays down south after this as they head to Houston for a Sunday tilt. Tulane was supposed to take on Memphis on Sunday, but that one has been postponed. Beyond that, their next scheduled match would be next Friday against East Carolina.
PRESS RELEASES:
NEW ORLEANS, La. – No. 24 Wichita State used double-doubles from Emily Hiebert and Tabitha Brown to defeat Tulane 3-0. The Shockers won by scores of 25-23, 25-16 and 25-16.
Hiebert had 38 assists and 10 digs, while Brown had 14 kills and 10 digs. Alex Koon also added 10 kills.
SET 1:
• WSU came back from seven down to take the first set 25-23
• Tulane used a 4-0 run to take an early 9-5 lead
• The Green Wave pushed the lead to 17-10 after a Shocker service error
• WSU answered with an 8-0 run behind the serving of Alex Koon to take an 18-17 lead
• The two teams traded points until two-straight kills from Brown gave the Shockers set point at 24-22
• Koon’s kill gave WSU the 25-23 win
• Brown had six kills in the set, while Koon added four
• Hiebert had 12 assists and nine digs
SET 2:
• The Shockers pulled away for a 25-16 win
• Emma Wright‘s kill gave the Shockers a 7-4 lead
• Two kills from Brown and a block by Hiebert and Wright pushed the Shocker lead to 16-11 and forced Tulane to take a timeout
• A Lehman kill gave WSU a 20-13 lead and Koon’s kill closed it out 25-16
SET 3:
• WSU swept the match with a 25-16 win
• The Green Wave took an early 9-6 lead, but a 5-0 run put the Shockers up 11-9
• A Brown kill and service ace increased the lead to 17-13 and the Shockers scored the final three points for the 25-16 win
NEXT MATCH:
• The Shockers are next in action on Sun., Oct. 8 at Houston at 12 p.m.
NEW ORLEANS – Tulane volleyball could not shock No. 24 Wichita State, Friday night at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse, falling short in its upset bid, 3-0 (23-25, 16-25, 16-25). The Green Wave fall to 12-6 overall, 1-4 The American.
The Green Wave struck early and often in the first set, opening a seven point lead, but could not finish the job, losing 25-23. Tulane dictated the play early in the set against the nationally-ranked Shockers, rallying behind freshman middle hitter Markenzie Benoit six kills (attack percentage of .857) to build a 17-10 lead. Wichita State stormed back, however, pulling off an 8-0 run, to regain the lead before winning the set.
Wichita State took the second set, 25-16, as Tulane could not slow its offensive attack. The Shockers posted a team attack percentage of .520, while holding Tulane to a percentage of .156 in the first set. Senior setter Justine Bowers recorded 10 assists.
Tulane dropped the third set, 25-16, to seal its defeat against Wichita State. Benoit finished with eight kills (.333 attack percentage), freshman right side hitter Kristen Thompson recorded a team-high 10 kills and while Bowers totaled a season-high 31 assists. Freshman libero Mia Primavera made her collegiate debut in the match.
Up Next
Tulane’s Sunday match against Memphis was canceled because of impending weather related to Tropical Storm Nate. Its rescheduling is to be determined. The Green Wave travel to East Carolina and Cincinnati next weekend for their second conference road trip of the season. Tulane plays ECU, 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 13, before making its way to Cincinnati for a 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 15 showdown.
Season ticket packages for the 2017 season are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE(9283), logging onto TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
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