Scene Setter
Wichita State volleyball wraps up its four-match homestand at Charles Koch Arena with two American Athletic Conference matches against conference preseason favorite UCF Friday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m., and USF Sunday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m.
 
Promotions
Friday's match vs. UCF is Jam the Gym and a Shocker Blackout. All tickets are only $3, and fans are encouraged to wear black to the match....Sunday's contest against USF is the annual Dig Pink match. Two dollars of every ticket sold will be donated to the Side-Out Foundation in support of breast cancer research and awareness.
 
Quick Hits
• The Shockers come into the weekend at 4-14 on the season and 1-5 in The American after dropping two home matches to Houston, 3-1, on Oct. 11, and Tulane, 3-2, on Oct. 13.
• Through 18 matches, sophomore outside hitter Megan Taflinger leads the Shockers offensively, averaging 2.83 kills per set. Overall, the Leona Valley, Calif., native has 195 kills on 596 attempts with 82 errors for a .190 attack percentage. Senior defensive specialist Kara Bown has a team-best 17 service aces.
• Junior setter McKayla Wuensch is averaging a team-best 5.86 assists per set, while Bown is averaging a team-high 3.37 digs per set. Junior middle blocker Emma Wright leads Wichita State in blocking with nine block solos, 49 block assists and 0.94 blocks per set.
• Through 18 matches, the Shockers are averaging 10.9 kills, 10.3 assists, one ace, 14.4 digs and 1.9 blocks per set. Wichita State is hitting .164 with 754 kills in 2,324 attempts and 373 errors.
• After six conference contests, Wright is hitting a team-best .333 with 40 kills on 84 attempts and 12 errors. Wuensch had a team-best 198 assists (8.25 assists/set) in conference action, while Bown leads the team with 85 digs (3.70 digs/set), and junior middle blocker Brooke Smith has a team-best 18 blocks (three block solos, 15 block assists) in six conference contests.
• Wright hit a career-best .538 with 16 kills on 26 attempts and only two errors in the Shockers' five-set triumph at Memphis Oct. 4.
• Redshirt freshman Brylee Kelly posted a career-high 14 kills at Memphis Oct. 4, before tying her career-best with a .333 (13-3-30) attack percentage at SMU Oct. 6.
• Wuensch compiled a career-high 49 assists at Memphis Oct. 4, and had a career-best 22 digs vs. Tulane Oct. 13.
• Freshman libero/DS Arianna Arjomand tallied a career-high 25 digs against Tulane Oct. 13.
• Bown had a career-best five service aces vs. Tulane Oct. 13.
• Redshirt freshman middle blocker Chinelo Ogogor compiled a career-best eight blocks (one block solo, seven block assists) vs. Tulane Oct. 13.
• In her first match back from an injury suffered against San Jose State Sept. 5, senior middle blocker Damadj Johnson tied her career-best with a match-high 10 blocks (two block solos, eight block assists) at Tulsa Sept. 27.
• Bown posted a career-high 25 digs at Tulsa Sept. 27.
• Bown was named to the Creighton Classic All-Tournament Team. The Lincoln, Neb., native posted 23 digs and three aces in WSU's match vs. Wyoming Sept. 20 in Omaha.
• Wright tallied a career-best eight block assists vs. Wyoming Sept. 20.
• Taflinger and freshman outside hitter Sinalauli'i Uluave were named to the Shocker Volleyball Classic Presented by Ashley HomeStore All-Tournament Team.
• Wichita State faced five AVCA top-15 teams (Nebraska, Texas, Penn State, BYU, Creighton) in its non-conference schedule.
• Third-ranked Texas marked the highest-ranked opponent to ever visit Charles Koch Arena. The previous highest-ranked team to come to the arena was No. 6 Washington in 2004.
• Head Coach Chris Lamb is in his 20th season with the Shockers
• WSU returns two starters from last season in junior middle blocker Emma Wright and sophomore outside hitter Megan Taflinger. Junior libero Giorgia Civita also returns, but will miss the 2019 season due to injury.
• Wichita State welcomes 11 newcomers this season, including eight freshmen and three transfers.
• WSU led The American and ranked 18th in the country in overall attendance last season, averaging 2,177 fans over their 10 home matches. The Shockers have been ranked in the top-25 for attendance for 14 straight seasons.
• WSU has won four conference tournament titles (2004, 2013, 2015, 2016).
• The Shockers have won seven conference regular-season championships (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017).
• Giorgia Civita was named The American Libero of the Year last season. She was also voted first team all-conference and AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region.
 
Series History
Wichita State is 6-1 all-time against UCF and USF. In The American, the Shockers are 5-1 vs. the two programs.
UCF - 2-1 (2-1 American)
USF - 4-0 (3-0 American)
 
About UCF
The UCF Knights, who were picked as the preseason favorites in The American, enter the weekend at 12-6 overall and 5-1 in conference action after winning at USF, 3-1, and sweeping Memphis at home, 3-0, Oct. 11 and 13...Through 18 matches, the Knights are paced by reigning American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, sophomore outside hitter McKenna Melville (284 kills, 4.24 kills/set, 16 aces, 197 digs, seven block solos, 20 block assists), senior setter Erin Olson (374 assists, 5.67 assists/set, 171 digs, 2.59 digs/set), redshirt senior libero/DS Makenzie Kuchmaner (236 digs, 3.52 digs/set, 88 assists) and redshirt junior middle blocker Nerissa Moravec (62 kills, seven block solos, 77 block assists, 1.31 blocks/set)...UCF leads the conference in blocking (2.88 block/set), and ranks second in hitting percentage (.270)...Individually, Melville is second in The American in kills...The Knights are under the direction of 11th season head coach Todd Dagenais.
 
About USF
The USF Bulls enter the week at 7-13 overall and 1-5 in The American after dropping a pair of home matches to UCF, 3-1, and SMU, 3-1, Oct. 11 and 13...Through 20 matches, the Bulls are led by sophomore outside hitter Lindsey Pilapol (246 kills, 3.19 kills/set, 10 aces, 164 digs, one block solo, 24 block assists), sophomore setter Lauren LaBeck (468 assists, 7.43 assists/set, 18 aces, 124 digs), sophomore defensive specialist CC Clausen (320 digs, 4.16 digs/set, 73 assists, 23 aces) and freshman middle blocker Ally Barnhart (74 kills, five block solos, 62 block assists, 1.10 blocks/set)...USF was picked to finish sixth in The American preseason poll...The Bulls are under the leadership of eighth season head coach Courtney Draper.
 
Last Meeting vs. UCF
The Wichita State volleyball team fell at UCF, 3-1, Oct. 7, 2018, inside The Venue at UCF. WSU lost by set scores of 25-20, 22-25, 23-25 and 18-25. Redshirt freshman Megan Taflinger tallied a match-high 16 kills to go along with six digs, while freshman Grace Burken posted a career-high 11 kills and three blocks to lead the Shockers. Junior Alex Koon added 12 kills and nine digs, and senior Kali Eaken compiled 28 assists. Sophomore Giorgia Civita posted a match-high 32 digs.
 
Last Meeting vs. USF
Wichita State improved to 3-1 in American Athletic Conference play with a 3-1 win at USF Oct. 5, 2018. The Shockers won by scores of 25-16, 21-25, 25-17 and 25-21. Megan Taflinger led the Shockers with 19 kills, three service aces and three digs. Alex Koon had a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs. Kora Kauling had 23 assists, while Kali Eaken had 22 assists. Giorgia Civita had a match-high 26 digs.
 
New-Look
Wichita State returns just two starters in 2019 in junior middle blocker Emma Wright and sophomore outside hitter Megan Taflinger. WSU has 11 newcomers this season, including freshmen Skylar Goering (outside hitter), Kayce Litzau (setter), Nicole Anderson (outside hitter), Arianna Arjomand (libero/DS), Sinalauli'i Uluave (outside hitter), Sophia Rohling (opposite), Shea Lauria (libero/DS) and Lily Liekweg (libero/DS), and transfers Lexi Hogan (outside hitter), McKayla Wuensch (setter) and Damadj Johnson (middle blocker).
 
International History
Junior libero Giorgia Civita returns to the team in 2019. 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 20th Season
Head coach Chris Lamb, five-time conference Coach of the Year and 2017 National Coach of the Year, returns for his 20th season after guiding the Shockers to at least 20 wins in 15 of the last 16 seasons. In 2011, he became the winningest coach in Shocker volleyball history and in 2017 he won his 400th career match.
 
Practice Schedule
(*schedule subject to change)
The Shockers will practice in the Aetna Multi-Purpose Center Tuesday-Thursday from 1:30-4:30 p.m. On the day before a home match, the team will practice on Devlin Court.
 
The Chris Lamb Radio Show
(*schedule subject to change)
The Chris Lamb Radio Show will take place Monday's throughout the season live from AJ's Sports Grill at The Alley in Wichita. The show will air on 97.5 FM and 1240 AM KFH radio. Mike Kennedy will host the show. A full show schedule is available at GoShockers.com.
 
On the Horizon
Wichita State begins a four-match road trip with contests at UConn and Temple Oct. 25 and 27.
 
2018 Review
Wichita State advanced to the postseason for the fourth consecutive season, qualifying for the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). WSU finished the 2018 season with a 14-18 overall record and went 8-10 in American Athletic Conference play. The Shockers played the fourth-toughest schedule in all of NCAA Division I volleyball, including five matches against AVCA Top-25 opponents. Sophomore libero Giorgia Civita was voted American Libero of the Year, first team all-conference and AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region. A native of Milan, Italy, Civita rewrote the Wichita State volleyball record books in 2018, compiling single-season records for both digs (728) and digs per set (5.78).