WICHITA, Kan. – The UTSA volleyball program concluded the 2024 campaign with their third straight win on Sunday, as they bested Wichita State 23-25, 25-21, 25-20, 26-24 in American Athletic Conference action inside Charles Koch Arena.
The Roadrunners (11-18, 5-11 The American) bested the Shockers (15-13, 10-6 The American), as sophomore Peyton Turner recorded a match-high 21 digs and junior Caroline Krueger managed 10. Classmate Mia Soerensen racked up 21 kills with five blocks, while sophomore Kai Bailey issued nine successful attacks and swatted eight of the opposition’s attacks. Additionally, sophomore Annika Sokol tallied 33 assists and freshman Morgen Durgens 18.
The squads exchanged blows in the first, prompting a 17-17 score line. The Shockers then strung together three straight for a 20-17 advantage that forced a UTSA timeout. Kills for senior Faye Wilbricht, Krueger and Soerensen out of the break tied things up, but WSU prevailed with a 25-23 win.
An 8-1 surge early in the first saw an 11-6 UTSA lead. A later run trimmed the Shocker deficit to three, and they eventually worked a 19-19 tie. A Bailey kill followed, ahead of a WSU error and a Wilbricht termination for a 22-19 edge. From there, a successful attack by senior Alicia Coppedge put UTSA firmly in the driver’s seat, and a Krueger kill cemented a 25-21 victory for the ‘Runners.
The Roadrunners started hot in the third, building an 8-3 advantage ahead of a 15-10 score midway through the frame. UTSA then kept WSU at arms-length en route to a 25-20 win.
Consecutive kills for Soerensen helped put the ‘Runners up 12-7 to open the fourth. The Shockers then rallied, scoring nine of the following 12 points for a 16-15 edge. A slugfest ensued, with a 24-24 score line forcing a win-by-two scenario. Bailey launched a successful attack to hand the ‘Runners match point, and a Wichita State attack went wide, securing a 26-24 win as well as the match for UTSA.
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