Owls Fall in Four to Wichita State

Friday, October 31

Boca Raton, Fla.

6 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

16-8,7-4American

Wichita State

15-8,7-4American

Wichita St.

Fla. Atlantic

10/31/2025 10:32:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic Volleyball dropped a four-set battle, 3-1 (25-22, 25-29, 15-25, 25-18), against the Wichita State Shockers on Friday evening inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Owls scored first, but Wichita State took the lead after a 5-1 run to hold the early advantage. The Owls answered back with a 5-1 run of their own, sparked by Kayla Richardson's first kill of the day and a service ace from Emsley Venard, to bring the set even at six, 6-6. The Shockers regained the lead, sparking a pair of FAU timeouts through a 16-10 advantage. FAU battled back, producing an 8-3 run to cut the deficit to just one, 19-18, after a kill from Anna Hartman. The Owls kept things within one through a 22-21 Wichita State lead, but ultimately fell short as the Shockers closed the frame on a 3-1 run to take the first, 25-22.

After battling through an 8-8 tie to open the second, Wichita State scored three unanswered points to retake the lead 11-8, forcing the Owls to call their first timeout of the second. Out of the break, the Owls rallied off a 5-1 run, capped off by a kill from Hartman, to retake the lead 13-12 and force Wichita State to call their first timeout of the set. Following a 15-15 tie, the Owls struggled to match the Shockers as Wichita State went on a 10-4 run to close out the second, 25-19, taking a two-set advantage heading to the third, 2-0.

The Owls fought back in the third, opening the set on an 11-5 run. FAU kept up the pressure in the third, extending its lead to eight as a kill from Richardson gave the Owls the 20-12 lead, forcing Wichita State to call its second and final timeout. The Owls closed the set on a 5-3 to take the third, 25-15, and send the match to a fourth, 2-1.

FAU and Wichita State battled through a 7-7 tie to open the fourth, but a 3-0 Shocker run broke things apart as the Owls called their first timeout of the set, trailing 10-7. The Owls kept things within three through a 16-13 Wichita State advantage, however, a 6-0 Wichita State run moved the deficit to nine, 22-13. The Owls fought back, producing a 5-2 run to try and cut into the Shockers' lead, but it just wasn't enough as Wichita State eventually claimed the fourth, 25-18, to close out the four-set match.

STATS & NOTES

Kierstin Bevelle, Olivia Hart, and Hartman led the way for the Owls in the match. Bevelle and Hart tied for a team-best 13 kills, while Hartman finished with 12 kills against the Shockers.
Venard led the Owls in assists, dishing out a team-best 21, while also finishing with her fifth double-double of the season, adding a team second-best 10 digs in the match.
Defensively, Isabelle Northam led the Owls' back row with a team-leading 15 digs. At the net, Richardson and Libby Ashline tied for a team-best four blocks on the night.
As a team, the Owls outpaced the Shockers in kills, outscoring Wichita State 56-51.

UP NEXT
The Owls will close out the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 2, hosting the Tulsa Golden Hurricane for a 1 p.m. first serve inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena and on ESPN+.

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