Kansas State Sweeps Shockers in NCAA Opener

Lincoln, Neb. - Kansas State made quick work of in-state rival Wichita State in the opening round of the 2011 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship on Friday, sweeping past the Shockers at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb. KSU earned its eighth sweep of the season by scores of 25-18, 25-22 and 25-17.

With the win, Kansas State advances to the second-round match at 7 p.m. (Central) Friday against the winner of the Thursday's other first-round match between No. 2 national seed Nebraska and Jackson State. K-State (21-10) improved to 11-2 all-time in the opening round of the tournament. Wichita State ended its season with a 21-11 record. The Shockers were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in their six all-time appearances.

Kansas State hit .268 in the match, compared to a .119 mark for Wichita State. The Wildcats totaled 19 more kills than the Shockers (50-31), while both teams committed 17 errors. KSU out-dug Wichita State, 65-52, while the Shockers out-blocked Kansas State, 8-7.

The Wildcats were balanced offensively, as seven players finished with at least seven kills, matching the Shockers' individual leader. Kaitlynn Pelger finished with a match-high 15 kills, while Alex Muff had 10 kills and Lilla Porubek added nine. Elizabeth Field and Ashley Andrade led Wichita State with seven kills each.

In set one, neither team led by more than one until the 18th rally of the match, when a Pelger kill gave Kansas State a 10-8 lead. Wichita State fought back to tie the game at 10, 11 and 12, before the Wildcats pulled away with seven straight points to take a 19-12 advantage. The Shockers could pull no closer than six the rest of the way, as a net violation closed out a 25-18 win for Kansas State. KSU totaled 14 kills on .250 hitting in the set, led by Alex Muff's six kills on eight swings, while Wichita State finished with one more kill (9) than errors (8).

Kansas State kept its momentum to start the second set, winning the first two rallies en route to jumping out to a 7-3 lead. In what would be a theme throughout the set, Wichita State would fight back, but K-State would always have an answer. The Shockers pulled within one at 7-6, only to see the Wildcats stretch the lead back to four. Wichita State countered with a 6-1 run to take its biggest lead of the set at 17-15 and force a Kansas State timeout. After erasing the lead, K-State made the big plays down the stretch. With the score tied at 20, the Wildcats won five of the final seven rallies, taking the second set on Courtney Traxson's fourth kill of the match. Wichita State recorded four blocks and committed three fewer attack errors in set two, but it was not enough. Pelger and Lilla Porubek each had six kills each for Kansas State, as the duo combined for more kills themselves (12) than the entire Wichita State team (9).

The match ended in a similar fashion to how it started, as set three was tight early before K-State used a big run to cruise to a 25-17 victory. Neither team led by more than one until Wichita State won two straight rallies to take an 8-6 lead. Kansas State answered by winning five of the next six points to build a two-point lead of its own. The Wildcats stretched their lead to 15-11 at the media break and this time Wichita State would have no answer, as K-State led by at least three the rest of the way. KSU's largest lead came in the final rally, as Traxson closed out her second straight set with a kill to wrap up the eight-point win. Kansas State was at its best offensively in the final set, hitting a match-high .381, putting down 19 kills with only three errors. Pelger had seven kills on 11 errorless swings in the final set, capping a terrific match for the sophomore. Wichita State hit .209 in the final set - its only set above .100 - but the Wildcat offense proved too potent to stop.