WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State hosts two matches this weekend in Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers will play Cincinnati on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. presented by the Fee Insurance Group. The Shockers will host ECU on Sun., Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.
On the Web
Both of Wichita State's matches this weekend will be on the internet at www.goshockers.com/listen with Mike Kennedy calling the action. Friday's match will be televised on COX YurView, while Sunday's match will be on Shocker HD with Shane Dennis and Denning Gerig.
Quick Hits
• Redshirt freshman libero
Giorgia Civita is The American Defensive Player of the Week this week
• Senior middle blocker
Abbie Lehman is a member of The American Honor Roll this week
• Cincinnati leads the overall series with Wichita State 1-0
• It will be the first meeting between WSU and ECU
• The Shockers are ranked 10th nationally in average attendance with 2,663 fans per match
• Head coach
Chris Lamb won his 400th career match on Oct. 15 against Tulsa
• Lamb will celebrate his birthday on Fri., Oct. 20
• The Shockers are 21st in this week's AVCA Top- 25 poll. It is the highest ranking for the Shockers since 2009
• WSU is 20th in this week's NCAA RPI
• The Shockers are 2-3 against the RPI top-50 and 6-3 against the top-100
• In the last 10 matches, the Shockers are 9-1
• In the last 10 matches, WSU is hitting .298, while holding opponents to a .145 clip
• In the last 10 matches,
Abbie Lehman is averaging 3.59 kills and 1.38 blocks per set, while hitting .455
• WSU is 5-1 at home this season
• In six home matches, WSU is hitting .271, while holding opponents to a .128 clip
• In six home matches,
Emily Hiebert is averaging 11.67 assists, 1.71 kills, and 2.24 digs per set while hitting .420
• In six home matches,
Giorgia Civita is averaging 6.48 digs per set
•
Emily Hiebert and
Abbie Lehman are both candidates for the Senior CLASS Award
•
Abbie Lehman led the Shockers with 30 kills last weekend and hit .583
•
Giorgia Civita averaged 6.29 digs per set last weekend
• The Shockers are now 19-16 overall in conference openers and 13-5 under Lamb
• WSU's win over No. 8 Creighton was highest ranked win in school history
• WSU is now 25-16-1 in home openers overall and 14-4 in home openers under Head Coach
Chris Lamb
•
Abbie Lehman led the Shockers with 31 kills last weekend and hit .569
•
Giorgia Civita averaged 6.29 digs per set last weekend for WSU
• Senior setter
Emily Hiebert collected her 4,000 career assist against Cal Poly
• Senior middle blocker
Abbie Lehman collected her 1,000th career kill against IUPUI
• Wichita State is playing its first season in the American Athletic Conference. The Shocker volleyball program was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1992-2017
• Head Coach
Chris Lamb is in his 18th season with the Shockers
• WSU returns four starters including
Abbie Lehman,
Emily Hiebert,
Mikaela Raudsepp and
Tabitha Brown
• The Shockers are picked first in the preseason American Athletic Conference poll
•
Emily Hiebert and
Abbie Lehman were both named to the preaseason all-conference team
• WSU ranked 12th in the nation in attendance last season (2,264 average) and had a season-high crowd of 3,122 Oct. 28 against UNI at Charles Koch Arena
• WSU has won 20 or more matches for 14-straight years
• WSU won four MVC Tournament titles (2004, 2013, 2015, 2016)
• The Shockers won six MVC regular-season championships (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2015)
•
Emily Hiebert became the first Shocker to earn Valley Setter of the Year honors in 2016
• Five Shockers earned all-Valley honors last season including
Emily Hiebert,
Abbie Lehman and
Jody Larson on the first team and
Mikaela Raudsepp and
Tabitha Brown on the second team
• WSU finished in the top-three in the Valley standings for the last 14 years
Scouting Cincinnati
The Bearcats are 8-12 overall and 6-2 in The American. Wins this season have come against Xavier, Milwaukee, USF, UCF, Tulsa, UConn, Houston and Tulane. Losses have come against No. 23 Utah, Arkansas State, No. 14 Kentucky, Texas State, Western Michigan, Seton Hall, Dayton, Illinois State, NC State, No. 21 Michigan, SMU and Temple. UC is led by Carly Nolan who is averaging 4.05 kills per set. Jade Tingelhoff averages 9.67 assists and Abby Williams averages 3.36 digs per set. As a team, the Bearcats are hitting .173, while holding opponents to a .208 clip. UC is led by head coach Molly Alvey.
Series History vs. the Bearcats
Cincinnati leads the overall series with Wichita State 1-0. The lone meeting was in 2016 in Wichita.
Last Meeting vs. UC
The last meeting between the two teams was Sept. 2, 2016, in Wichita. The Bearcats won 3-1 by scores of 19-25, 25-22, 25-21 and 26-24.
Jody Larson led the Shockers with 15 kills, while
Emily Hiebert had 39 assists and
Dani Mostrom had 19 digs.
Scouting ECU
The Pirates are 14-6 overall and 6-2 in The American. Wins this season have come against William & Mary, Georgia State, Stetson, Bucknell, Hampton, The Citadel, NC Central, North Carolina A&T, USF, Tulsa, Temple, UConn, Tulane and Houston. Losses have come against Rutgers, Providence, Gardner-Webb, Winthrop, UCF and SMU. ECU is led by Lael Ceriani who is averaging 3.26 kills per set. Shelby Martin averages 9.21 assists and Brandee Markwith averages 5.26 digs per set. As a team, the Pirates are hitting .230, while holding opponents to a .182 clip. ECU is led by head coach Julie Torbett.
Series History vs. the Pirates
This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
Shockers Ranked 21st
The Wichita State volleyball team is ranked 21st in the Oct. 16AVCA Top-25 Poll. The Shockers are receiving 283 points in the poll. It is the sixth ranking for the Shockers this season as they were ranked 23rd in the Sept. 4 poll, 24th in the Sept. 18 poll, 25th in the Sept. 25 poll, 24th in the Oct. 2 poll and 22nd in the Oct. 9 poll. It is the highest ranking for the Shockers since Sept. 21, 2009 when WSU was ranked 20th.
Shockers in the RPI
Wichita State is 20th in the third official RPI release of the season. WSU is 2-3 against the top-50 and 6-3 against the top-100. Wins include Creighton (13), Marquette (36), SMU (69), Miami (Ohio) (84), Temple (93) and Lipscomb (77). Losses are against Oregon (9), Iowa State (21) and Cal Poly (26). SMU is 72 and Tulsa is 164.
Week by Week 10/2 10/9 10/16 10/23 10/30 11/6 11/13 11/20
Wichita State 23 20 20
Moving on Up
Senior middle blocker
Abbie Lehman and senior setter
Emily Hiebert continue to climb the Shocker career records list for blocks and assists. Lehman is now third in career total blocks with 463 and needs 29 more to move into second place. She is also third in career block assists with 403 and needs 16 more to move into second place. Hiebert is third in assists with 4,432 and needs 44 more to move into second place.
Civita and Lehman Honored
Wichita State volleyball student-athletes
Giorgia Civita and
Abbie Lehman have been honored by the American Athletic Conference for their play the week of Oct. 9-15. Civita was named the Defensive Player of the Week, while Lehman was named to the honor roll. They led the Shockers to a 2-0 weekend and into sole possession of first place in The American. Civita, a redshirt freshman libero from Milan, Italy, averaged 6.29 digs, 0.86 assists and 0.14 aces per set in the two Shocker wins. In the four-set win over SMU, she had a match-high 29 digs along with three assists. In the three-set win over Tulsa, she had a match-high 15 digs along with three assists and one ace. She also had a perfect reception percentage on the weekend in 20 total chances. Lehman, a senior middle blocker from Newton, Kan., averaged 4.29 kills, 0.71 digs, 0.14 aces, 1.43 blocks and 5.21 points per set, while hitting .583. On Friday in the battle for first place with SMU, she had a match-high 20 kills with just one error on 33 swings and hit .576. She also added two digs and three blocks in the four-set win. In the three-set win over Tulsa, she had a match-high 10 kills and seven blocks, while hitting .600. She also added one ace and three digs.
8-0
Wichita State is off to an 8-0 start in American Athletic Conference play. It is the best conference start for the Shockers since 2008, when they went 18-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference. It is the fourth-best conference start overall behind the 18-0 starts in 2008 and 2005 and the 10-0 start in 2004.
400 Wins
Wichita State head coach
Chris Lamb collected his 400th career win on Oct. 15 against Tulsa. He is now 400-159 in his 18-year head coaching career.
Career-Highs
Several Shockers recorded career-highs over the weekend. Senior defensive specialist
Gabi Mostrom tied her career-high with 15 digs in the win over SMU. Sophomore outside hitter
Alex Koon had a career-high three service aces and eight digs against SMU, while senior defensive specialist
Hanna Shelton had a career-high 17 digs against the Mustangs.
Eight Points
Wichita State held Houston to eight points in the second set of the Oct. 8 win. That is tied for fifth in the Shocker record books for fewest points allowed in a set in the 25-point scoring era.
Hiebert Reaches 1,000 Digs
Senior setter
Emily Hiebert recorded her 1,000th career dig in the three-set win at Houston on Oct. 8. She is just the fourth setter in school history to reach that milestone joining Yu-Chyi Yang (1,165), Kori Rosenkranz (1,110) and Michele Hallagin (1,110).
Hiebert and Lehman Named Candidates
Wichita State volleyball student-athletes
Emily Hiebert and
Abbie Lehman have been named to the list of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award for volleyball. The award is given to a Division I volleyball student-athlete who excels both on and off the court. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Hiebert, a senior setter from Newton, Kan., earned first team all-Valley honors in 2015 and 2016 and was the MVC Setter of the Year in 2016. She was also named to the all-Valley Scholar-Athlete team in 2015 and 2016. Lehman, a senior middle blocker from Newton, Kan., earned first team all-Valley honors in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and is a three-time All-American. She was also named to the all-Valley Scholar-Athlete team in 2015 and 2016. Wichita State is one of four schools with multiple candidates, joining Western Kentucky, Washington and Penn State.
American Opener
Wichita State opened American Athletic Conference play with a 3-1 win on the road at Temple on Sept. 22. The Shockers are now 19-16 overall in conference openers and 13-5 under head coach
Chris Lamb. The Shockers are also 19-16 in conference road openers and 13-5 under Lamb and 17-17 in conference home openers and 12-5 under Lamb.
Gateway Conference Openers (1983-91)
Overall: 1-8
Road: 2-7
Home: 1-8
Missouri Valley Conference Openers (1992-2016)
Overall: 17-8
Road: 16-9
Home: 16-9
American Athletic Conference Openers (2017-present)
Overall: 1-0
Road: 1-0
Home: 0-0
Chris Lamb (2000-present)
Overall: 13-5
Road: 13-5
Home: 12-5
Down Goes No. 8
Wichita State earned its second top-10 win in program history with a 3-1 win over No. 8 Creighton on Fri., Sept. 15. The other was in 2008 against No. 10 Cal Poly. It was the Shockers first win over a ranked team since Aug. 27, 2016 when they beat No. 18 Creighton.
Long Set
No. 19 Iowa State beat Wichita State 37-35 in set two of their Sept. 17 match in Wichita. It was the most points scored in a set for the Shockers during the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present). WSU scored 33 against Bowling Green in 2014, 32 against Oklahoma in 2008 and 31 against Northern Iowa in 2009.
Raudsepp & Civita Named to All-Tourney Team
Senior outside hitter
Mikaela Raudsepp and redshirt freshman libero
Giorgia Civita earned all-tournament team honors at the Shocker Volleyball Classic. Raudsepp averaged 4.29 kills and 0.57 digs, while hitting .296 in the two matches. Civita averaged 7.86 digs per set against No. 8 Creighton and No. 19 Iowa State.
4,000 Assists
Senior setter
Emily Hiebert recorded her 4,000th career assist on Sept. 9 against Cal Poly. She now has 4,030 assists and is just the fourth player in school history to reach the 4,000-assist mark. She joins Mary Elizabeth Hooper (4,820), Michele Hallagin (4,476) and Kori Rosenkranz (4,313).
Comeback
The Shockers earned a come from behind win on Sept. 2 against Marquette. The Golden Eagles won the first two sets before the Shockers fought back to win the match in five sets. It was the first time the Shockers came back from an 0-2 deficit to win since Aug. 27, 2016 when they did it against No. 18 Creighton.
1,000 Kills
Senior middle blocker
Abbie Lehman collected her 1,000th career kill on Sept. 1 at IUPUI. She is just the 12th Shocker to record 1,000 career kills. She now has 1,030 for her career.
All-Tournament Team Honors
Junior outside hitter
Tabitha Brown earned MVP honors at the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational over the weekend. Senior setter
Emily Hiebert and senior middle blocker
Abbie Lehman were also named to the all-tournament team. Brown averaged 4.58 kills, 2.67 digs and 0.58 blocks per set, while hitting .316 in the three matches. Hiebert averaged 10.50 assists, 1.33 kills, 2.42 digs and 0.50 blocks per set, while Lehman averaged 2.92 kills, 0.33 digs, 1.08 blocks per set and hit .354.
Block Party
Wichita State collected 15 blocks in the season opening three-set win over Lipscomb. It was the fourth-most blocks in a three-set match for the Shockers in school history in the rally scoring era (2001-16).
500 Kills
Junior outside hitter
Tabitha Brown collected her 500th career kill in the win over ETSU on Aug. 26. Brown had 161 kills in her freshman season at Alabama and 325 as a sophomore at Wichita State.
Shockers Picked First in Preseason American Poll
The Wichita State volleyball team is picked first in the 2017 American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Shockers received seven first-place votes and 116 points in the poll. The Shockers return eight letterwinners and four starters from a team that went 24-8 overall and 15-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play in 2016. Last season, the Shockers won the MVC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Lehman and Hiebert Named to Preseason All-Conference Team
Senior middle blocker
Abbie Lehman and senior setter
Emily Hiebert were named to the preseason all-conference team. Lehman earned honorable mention All-America and first team all-Valley honors in 2016 and averaged 2.68 kills and 1.27 blocks per set, while hitting .384. Hiebert earned first team all-Valley and Setter of the Year honors in 2016 and averaged 10.64 assists, 0.59 blocks and 2.81 digs per set.
Family Connection
Two Shocker volleyball players have siblings who compete in other sports at Wichita State. Junior
Tabitha Brown's brother Zach is a senior on the men's basketball team, while redshirt freshman
Regan Stiawalt's brother Chandler is a freshman on the men's track and field team.
International History
Redshirt freshman libero
Giorgia Civita returns to the team in 2017. Civita is from Milan, Italy and is just the seventh international player to play for the Shockers. Others include Kim Henry (1989-92) from Canada, Swee Ng (1992) from Malaysia, Marsha Van Cedar (1994-95) from Canada, Tomoko Matsuda (1996) from Japan, Lucia Zhanje (2000) from Zimbabwe and Shimen Fayad (2014- 15) from Canada. One other international player was on the roster in 1992, but never played in a match (Tamie Bearup, Italy).
Lamb Returns for 18th Season
Head coach
Chris Lamb, four-time MVC Coach of the Year, returns for his 18th season after guiding the Shockers to 14-straight 20-win seasons. In 2011, he became the winningest coach in Shocker volleyball history and in 2013 he won his 300th career match.
The Chris Lamb Radio Show
The
Chris Lamb Radio Show will air on Monday's from 6:30-7 p.m. on 98.7 FM and 1330 KNSS. Mike Kennedy will host the show and it gets underway on Mon., Aug. 28.
