Following an up-and-down non-conference slate, Temple traveled to Kansas to play Wichita State for its first American Athletic Conference match. The Owls started off last weekend being swept by Villanova on Sept. 20 before rebounding against Marist the very next day in a sweep of their own.
Head coach Linda Hampton-Keith’s squad entered conference play sitting at .500 and looked to fare better in AAC action than they did last season. Despite the Owls’ 17 wins in 2023, they faltered down the stretch losing seven of their final nine games.
Temple’s matchup against Wichita State looked to give the Owls the hot start they needed in conference play. Unfortunately, the Shockers had other plans and snatched the first set, taking the momentum with them. Temple was able to rebound in the second set but didn’t pick up another win, dropping its first conference game of the season.
Temple (6-7, 0-1 AAC) fell to Wichita State (6-7, 2-0 AAC) 3-1 Friday night. The Owls had a chance to send the match into a fifth set, but gave up the final two points to the Shockers to drop its first conference matchup.
The Shockers set the tone in the first set, bouncing out with an early 6-0 lead. Temple slowly clawed back into the match, finding itself within three points but were unable to bridge the gap. The Owls played catch-up the entire set and the Shockers held off any comeback attempts for a 25-20 win. Both schools had similar attacks, but Wichita State nearly doubled Temple’s kills.
The Owls started the second set on a much better note, keeping the match competitive throughout the first half. Both teams traded blows until Temple found a spark, going on an 8-1 run to take a 19-16 lead and never looked back.
Temple scored the final four points of the set to tie the match with a 25-20 victory. Both teams kept the errors to a minimum, but Temple’s efficiency proved to be the game-changer that allowed the Owls to win the set.
The Shockers started the third set strong and the Owls were left in the dust, getting into an 11-4 hole early. Temple managed to crawl back into the set, bringing Wichita State’s lead down to four multiple times. However, the Owls were unable to stay out of their own way, committing four service errors. Wichita State took advantage and picked up a key third-set win 25-16.
Both teams were desperate entering the fourth set. Temple looked to stave off a loss to open conference play while Wichita State looked to put the nail in the Owls’ coffin.
The intensity was evident from the first serve. The teams battled back and forth in the closest set of the night. Neither squad led by more than three points during the set and the lead was deadlocked 14 times, but it was the Shockers who were able to pull away in the end.
Wichita State took the lead early in the fourth set at 3-2, but from there the Owls took control, taking the lead and holding it for much of the set. However, the lead began to slip away and Temple eventually collapsed.
The Shockers rallied back and took a 21-20 lead after multiple extended delays from coach challenges. Temple stormed back to tie the game at 23 and then again at 25. In the end, the Shockers were too much for Temple, pulling away with a 27-25 victory.
Temple’s inefficient attack wound up being its downfall in the match. Temple finished with 142 attack attempts, three more than its opponent, but Wichita State led in kills 63-47. The Shockers also dominated Temple in hitting percentage, registering a .302 while Temple ended at just .169
Temple outside hitters Taylor Davenport and Sydney Jones did everything they could to lead the Owls to a victory. The pair led the team in kills with 13 and 12, respectively, but it was not enough for Temple to come out with the win.
The Owls’ conference slate continues on the road as they take on Tulsa (9-4, 1-0 AAC) on Sept. 29, at 2 p.m.
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