Sara Younes had 14 kills, 6 blocks and 3 service aces as Wichita State defeated Illinois State 37-35, 33-31, 30-27 in a Missouri Valley Conference volleyball match Saturday at Redbird Arena.
The Redbirds, 5-9, 0-4 in the Valley, continued to struggle in tight games. When Illinois State dropped the first two games by the minimum, it dropped the Redbird record in two-point games to 4-13 for the season. The Redbird league record represents the longest conference losing streak in Illinois State history. ISU had only lost as many as three in a row once before in 21 years of regular-season league play.
Savannah Knowles matched her career high with 13 kills to lead four players in double figures for ISU. Larua Doornbos and Staci Boyce had 11 and Emily Kabbes added 10 for ISU.
The Shockers, 9-5, 2-1 in the Valley emerged a winner in game one, the highest-scoring game in Redbird history, then bounced back in game two, stopping three ISU game points.
WSU coach Chris Lamb said his team is used to those tight games.
We have that kind of urgency in practice, said Lamb. We play a lot of all-or-nothing situations. We made some plays we need to make. Deuce games are a coin toss. If youre scared, youll lose. Illinois State is tough here. They have great crowds. Any win is a good win, but winning at Illinois State ... well, Ill take it.
Redbird coach Sharon Dingman said her team is composed despite the close game losses.
We competed tonight, said Dingman. This happened to us last year, where we lost six in a row, but came back to win six in a row. This team is not down. I like this team and Im confident well get throught it.
Wichita State led 15-11 in game one when Kabbes got the Birds on a roll with a kill, then three more service points including an ace. After a service error put WSU up 16-15, ISU used a Staci Boyce/Laura Doornbos block to start another 4-0 run to a 19-16 lead.
But Younes hammered her fourth kill of the game to get herself the serve, and she tacked on five more points, including two service aces, to give the Shockers a 22-19 lead. Knowles three straight kills got ISU back even at 24-24, but Darci Vohs had two kills and a block to put WSU at game point, 29-25. ISU bounced back to tie with a Doornbos kill and three Kabbes service points.
Boyce and Doornbos roofed Younes to put the Birds at game point 30-29. Younes answered with a kill down the line to end the 5-0 Redbird run. The teams traded points until a Kabbes kill put the teams even at 35-35.Younes drilled a kill off the block and got a solo block to give the Shockers game one.
Game two was the same kind of nip-and-tuck. WSUs 12-9 edge on a Younes block was the biggest lead either team could muster. Wichita State led 28-27 when a Knowles kill down the line and an Ashley Grubb tip over the block put the Birds at game point, 29-28. ISU served for game point at 31-30, but WSU used a hitting error and two Lara Geer kills to pull out game two.
The third game started out just like the first two. Neither team led by more than two until the Shockers Vohs smacked a kill, then a service ace and another service point as WSU led 19-15. That edge helped them put the match away.
The Redbirds go back on the road next Saturday to play travel partner Indiana State in Terre Haute.
