Scene Setter
Wichita State volleyball begins a four-match American Athletic Conference road swing with contests at UConn and Temple Friday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 27. Friday's match at UConn is slated for a 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET) first serve, while Sunday's tilt at Temple is scheduled for noon CT (1 p.m. ET).
 
Quick Hits
• The Shockers enter the week at 5-15 overall and 2-6 in The American after splitting a pair of home matches Oct. 18 and 20. WSU fell to preseason conference favorite UCF, 3-1, Oct. 18 before sweeping USF, 3-0, Oct. 20 for its first home win of the season.
• Freshman libero/DS Arianna Arjomand was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll for her performance during the week of Oct. 14-20. Arjomand led WSU defensively for the week with 4.14 digs per set and 29 total digs while compiling a .978 reception percentage with only one reception error.
• Through 20 matches, sophomore outside hitter Megan Taflinger leads the Shockers offensively, averaging 2.92 kills per set. Overall, the Leona Valley, Calif., native has 222 kills on 668 attempts with 90 errors for a .198 attack percentage. Senior defensive specialist Kara Bown has a team-best 17 service aces.
• Junior setter McKayla Wuensch is averaging a team-best 5.84 assists per set, while Bown is averaging a team-high 3.37 digs per set, and junior middle blocker Brooke Smith is averaging a team-best 1.12 blocks per set with three block solos and 25 block assists.
 • Through 20 matches, the Shockers are averaging 11.1 kills, 10.4 assists, 0.9 aces, 14.5 digs and two blocks per set. Wichita State is hitting .170 with 842 kills in 2,566 attempts and 407 errors.
• After eight conference contests, Wright is hitting a team-best .333 with 40 kills on 84 attempts and 12 errors. Wuensch had a team-best 220 assists (7.86 assists/set) in conference action, while Bown leads the team with 109 digs (3.63 digs/set), and junior middle blocker Brooke Smith has a team-best 27 blocks (three block solos, 24 block assists) in eight conference contests.
• The Shockers hit a season-best .363 with 41 kills on 102 attempts and only four errors in the sweep of USF Oct. 20. WSU had just one attacking error in the first two sets, hitting a blistering .567 (17-0-30) in set one and .281 in set two (10-1-32).
• Senior middle blocker Damadj Johnson hit a scorching .818 (career-best and tied for 6th on WSU match records list) with nine kills on 11 attempts and zero errors vs. USF Oct. 20.
• 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.
• 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, 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 6-2 all-time vs. UConn and Temple. In The American, the Shockers are 6-2 vs. the two programs.
UConn - 3-1 (3-1 American)
Temple - 3-1 (3-1 American)
 
About UConn
The UConn Huskies enter the weekend at 8-12 overall and 2-6 in The American after dropping two road matches at Memphis, 3-2, and SMU, 3-0, Oct. 18 and 20...Through 20 contests, the Huskies are paced by sophomore outside hitter Caylee Parker (248 kills, 3.49 kills/set, 11 aces, 180 digs, 2.54 digs/set, four block solos, 20 block assists), redshirt sophomore setter Courtney Morris (544 assists, 8.24 assists/set, 12 aces, 133 digs, 2.02 digs/set, two block solos, 24 block assists) and redshirt junior Genna Florig (117 kills, 1.70 kills/set, 15 block solos, 52 block assists, 0.97 blocks/set)...Parker was named to The American Preseason All-Conference Team...UConn was picked to finish 11th in the AAC preseason poll...The Huskies are under the direction of first season head coach Ellen Herman-Kimball.
 
About Temple
The Temple University Owls come into the weekend at 10-9 overall and 1-7 in The American after losing two road contests at SMU, 3-0, and Memphis, 3-0, Oct. 18 and 20...Temple is slated to face Tulsa at home Friday before taking on the Shockers Sunday...After 19 matches, the Owls are led by sophomore outside hitter Gem Grimshaw (171 kills, 3.00 kills/set, 17 aces, 128 digs, 19 block assists), sophomore setter Tyler Lindgren (586 assists, 9.16 assists/set, 150 digs, two block solos, eight block assists), junior DS/libero Averi Salvador (304 digs, 4.75 digs/set, 79 assists, 10 aces) and freshman middle blocker Kayla Spells (five block solos, 48 block assists, 0.83 block/set, 79 kills)...Temple ranks third in The American in overall digs with 15.94 digs per set...Salvador is third in the conference in digs with 4.75 digs per set, while Lindgren is fourth in assists with 9.16 assists per set...The Owls were picked to finish eighth in The American preseason poll...Temple is under the leadership of ninth season head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam.
 
Last Meeting vs. UConn
Sophomore libero Giorgia Civita established a new single-season record for digs, but the Wichita State University volleyball team fell at UConn, 3-0, Sunday morning, Nov. 18, 2018, inside Gampel Pavilion. The Shockers lost by set scores of 21-25, 18-25 and 21-25. Civita rolled up a match-high 22 digs in the contest, giving her 634 digs this season to break Kelly Broussard's single-season record of 628 digs set back in 2007. For the second consecutive match, sophomore Regan Stiawalt tallied a new career-high in kills with 13. Megan Taflinger also posted 13 kills in the contest, while Kora Kauling added 28 assists.
 
Last Meeting vs. Temple
The Wichita State University volleyball team suffered a 3-1 loss at Temple Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, inside McGonigle Hall. The set scores were 23-25, 20-25, 25-23 and 24-26.  Sophomore Regan Stiawalt led the Shockers, tallying a career-best 12 kills, while junior Alex Koon added 10 kills and tied her career-high with five blocks. Redshirt freshman Kora Kauling added a match-best 33 assists, and sophomore Giorgia Civita posted a match-high 26 digs, respectively.
 
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
The Shockers continue their conference road trip with matches at Tulane Friday, Nov. 1, in New Orleans, La., and Houston Sunday, Nov. 3, in Houston, Texas.
 
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).