WICHITA, Kan. — The UTSA volleyball program fell 25-21, 25-16, 25-20 at the hands of Wichita State on Saturday in American Athletic Conference action inside of Charles Koch Arena.
The Roadrunners (15-13, 8-9 AAC) couldn’t overcome the Shockers (19-7, 13-3 AAC) despite senior Aliah Giroux pacing the match in digs for the second consecutive contest. She posted 20, while freshman Kai Bailey impressed in her first start with four blocks and a team-high 11 kills. Not far behind, sophomore Mia Soerensen worked seven terminations and three blocks, while junior Mekaila Aupiu issued 27 assists.
Following a back-and-forth start to the first frame, a sophomore Caroline Krueger kill sparked a four-point UTSA surge that delivered a 9-7 lead for the squad. The Shockers quickly replied, knotting the contest at 10 before the teams exchanged blows en route to an 18-18 tie. WSU then scored in the next three rallies for a 21-18 advantage. The opposition wasted no time capturing the set, with a 25-21 score line.
Wichita State used a four-point rally to take a 7-5 edge in the second before UTSA fought back to within one on an Aupiu kill midway through the stanza. Now leading 15-14, the Shockers stepped on the gas, claiming eight of the subsequent nine rallies for a 23-15 lead. Bailey and Soerensen combined for a block ahead of two more Shocker kills that saw a 25-16 win for WSU.
A kill for Morgan Stout afforded the Shockers a 5-1 advantage to open the third. Their lead grew to seven, prompting a UTSA timeout with the scoreboard reading 9-2 in favor of WSU. Shortly after, a Bailey termination brought the ‘Runners within striking distance, reflecting a 13-9 score line. The Shockers then worked a 20-14 lead before claiming a 25-20 victory.
The Roadrunners will look to bounce back on Friday, with a 7 p.m. contest on the docket against UAB in Birmingham, Alabama.
Keep up with UTSA Volleyball all season long on goutsa.com, and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSAVBall, Twitter @UTSAVolleyball, and on Instagram @utsa_vb.
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