WICHITA, Kan. – For the second consecutive season, the Memphis Tigers went into the home of the Wichita State Shockers and pulled out a five-set win. Thursday night, the Tigers fell behind two sets to none but stormed back for the exhilarating five-set victory. It was the second consecutive match that Wichita State lost a two sets to none lead, their only two conference losses this season. The Tigers picked up their first conference win of the season 18-25, 26-24, 25-23, 27-25, & 15-12.
The Shockers got off to a quick start in the opening set, as an early challenge win gave them a 5-1 lead. Memphis (4-6, 1-4) rattled off four of the next five points to pull within one, but they were never able to tie up the set. Wichita State (8-2, 3-2) built a five point lead at 16-11, extended the lead to 22-16, and though the Tigers fought off one set point, a kill from Megan Taflinger gave the Shockers the first set 25-18.
Memphis controlled the second set and did everything but finish it off. Memphis jumped out to an 8-3 lead, while Jada Birkel's seventh kill of the night extended the Tigers advantage to 12-7. The Shockers struggled on the attack in the set with nine attack errors after just two in the first set and the Tigers capitalized to take a 16-10 edge. Wichita State then won eight of the next 10 points to level the set 18-18, which was matched eight points later 22-22. The Tigers took a 24-22 lead, but kills from Sophia Rohling and Taflinger leveled the set 24-24. The Shockers took the next two points on two errors by the Tigers for a come-from-behind 26-24 second set win.
Though the attack wasn't overly successful in the third set for the Tigers, Memphis managed to extend the match despite a .000 hitting percentage with 11 kills and 11 attack errors. Neither side was able to string many points together early in the set, as the teams traded through the first 12 points. Memphis took the lead 10-6 as part of a 4-0 right, highlighted by a service ace from Bailey Houlihan. The Shockers got back into the set off of a block, one of their 12 on the night that pulled them within two at 12-10. Memphis sent the set into a media timeout at 15-11, though the Shockers responded with a 3-0 run. Wichita State tied the set 18-18 and led 21-19 and 23-22, but a block from Miaya Smith gave the Tigers set point 24-23. Birkel and Smith combined on the block on the next play that earned the Tigers the set 25-23 and extended the match.
The Tigers upped their attack when they needed it most, as they hit .146 in the fourth set victory and nearly doubled that in the fifth set. Neither team had more than a two point lead until nearly the end of the set, as the teams were tied 8-8, 14-14, and 17-17. Rohling came away with one of her career-high 27 kills that gave the Shockers a 19-18 lead. Wichita State took a 22-19 edge that led to a Memphis timeout, but Smith came away with one of her team-high six blocks on the point out of the timeout. A kill from Brylee Kelly made it 24-22 Shockers, but Smith and Drewry connected with kills on consecutive points that tied the set 24-24. Memphis couldn't win the set serving 25-24, but a kill from Elizabeth Orf gave the Tigers another set point and a Wichita State error followed for Memphis' 27-25 win.
In the decisive fifth set, the Tigers easily had their best offensive set of the night, with nine kills to just two attack errors, good for a .259 hitting percentage. The fifth set started much like the prior three, as the teams traded points to a 4-3 Shockers lead. That's when things went differently, as Memphis went on its best run of the night, a 9-2 spurt that included a 6-0 run that put the Tigers in control of the match 9-4. Smith's 11th kill of the night gave the Tigers an 11-7 lead, while Memphis' eighth kill of the set made it 13-7. Consecutive attack errors kept the Shockers alive as part of a 3-0 run, but Orf's eighth kill of the night set up match point for Memphis. The Shockers fought off two match points, but Rohling, the match-leader in kills, sent her final attempt well long, which secured Memphis' 15-12 fifth set victory and first conference victory of the season.
Tigers Tidbits
- It was the second consecutive five-set win for the Tigers on the road against Wichita State
- The Tigers had four players with double digit kills for the second time this season and first time since Jan. 23
- Sabrina Bianco (50 assists, 22 digs) recorded her sixth double-double of the season and her fourth in the last five matches
- Sam Drewry (13 kills, 11 digs) tallied her third double-double of the season and first since back-to-back double-doubles that opened her Memphis career Jan. 22-23
- Gigi Crescenzo (12 kills, 14 digs) notched her second double-double of the season and first since Jan. 23
- With a team-high 14 kills, Jada Birkel set a new season-high, one shy of her career-high
Up Next
Memphis will look to take Thursday night's momentum and hold onto it for at least another 24 hours, as the Tigers will match up once more with Wichita State Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The Tigers will follow the weekend in Wichita with a pair of matches on the road against Houston March 12-13 before they wrap up the season with two matches at home against SMU March 26-27.
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March 05, 2021 at 11:38AM
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Tigers storm back and win five-set thriller over Shockers - Memphis Official Athletic Site
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