Tulsa Survives Five Set Marathon Against Wichita State

TULSA DEF. WICHITA STATE 3-2 (39-41, 25-20, 18-25, 25-15, 19-17)

• Tulsa improves to 11-4, 3-0; Wichita State drops to 7-7, 2-1 in the American Conference.
• September, 29, 2018
• Reynolds Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Attendance:721
• Box score/Wichita State Recap/ Tulsa Recap

Tulsa sits alone atop the American Conference after it completed a match it will never forget as a program. Trailing two sets to one, the Golden Hurricane rallied to win 19-17 in the fifth set over Wichita State, giving the Shockers their first loss since they joined the conference in 2017.

The first set was a marathon. Tulsa came out and enjoyed the early lead, building an 11-6 lead. The Shockers battled and finally erased the deficit to tie the set at 22. Wichita State would earn the first set point at 24-23, but that was just the beginning as they traded punches until the Shockers finally took the opening set, 41-39.

In the second, Tulsa again came out and grabbed the early lead at 11-8. But Wichita State again rallied to tie it at 13. Tulsa then used a 6-1 run to regain control and take the set, 25-20.

Trailing 7-5 in the third, the Shockers mounted an 8-2 surge to grab a 13-9 lead. Wichita State kept the pressure up and ran away with the set, 25-18.

Tulsa refused to go away, as the Golden Hurricane used a 9-2 run to take the lead 14-9. Wichita State battled, but it was Tulsa, who forced a fifth set with a 25-15 win.

In the final set, Tulsa turned a 10-8 deficit into a 14-11 lead before it finished off the Shockers, 19-17.

What. A. Night.

If you weren't at the Reynolds Center to see us snap Wichita State's 22-0 AAC-match winning streak, we've still got you covered 📽️ #ForOurCity pic.twitter.com/ipLY7JQdPz

— Tulsa Volleyball (@TulsaVolleyball) September 30, 2018

MATCH NOTABLES

• Outside hitters Emily Thorson and Rachel Moore led Tulsa at the offensive end, each tallying 19 kills.
• Libero Taylor Horsfall had 27 digs, setter Mariah Pardo, 24, and Moore chipped in with 23.
• Outside hitter Megan Taflinger led the Shockers with 24 kills. Outside hitter Tabitha Brown tallied 15, and middle blockers Abby Pugh and Brooke Smith each chipped in with 13.
• Libero Giorgia Civita led Wichita State with a match-high 42 digs.
• Both teams were nearly identical in hitting percentage with Tulsa at .206 and Wichita State at .204.
• Tulsa delivers Wichita State its first loss in the American Conference since the Shockers joined in 2017.
• In the marathon first set, there were 19 ties and five lead changes throughout the set.

 UP NEXT

• Wichita State takes on USF in Tampa at 7 p.m. ET Friday.
• Tulsa travels to Orlando to battle UCF at 7 p.m. ET Thursday.
• Keep up to date on when your program is on TV by checking out VolleyMob’s TV Schedule.

STANDINGS