The RoundHouse | 10/25/2019 6:34:00 AM

 
It took longer than planned for Damadj Johnson to boost Wichita State volleyball's production in the middle. And while Johnson is a Shocker for a short time, she is determined to invest.
 
"When Lambo reached out to me, he told me he needed experience," Johnson said. "It's my job to step up and not make freshman mistakes. Show them I have been playing DI volleyball the last three years and give it my all."
 
Wichita State (5-15, 2-6 American Athletic Conference) take a bit of momentum on their East Coast swing after defeating USF 3-0 on Sunday. Coach Chris Lamb sees progress in several areas and likes how his lineups are playing. The Shockers play at UConn (8-12, 2-6) on Friday and at Temple (10-9, 1-7) on Sunday to start the second half of conference play.
 
Part of the progress is tied to the middle blockers and Johnson's return after missing most of September with a high ankle sprain in her right leg is a factor. Last weekend, she recorded eight kills and three blocks in a 3-1 loss to UCF and nine kills, without an error, and two blocks against USF.
 
"When she's been healthy, she's fast and jumpy and we can get on her scoreboard," Lamb said. "You can't cry over spilled milk, but I'm really glad if we couldn't give her the season that we wanted, maybe we can give her the home stretch she wanted."
 
Johnson, a senior from East St. Louis, Ill., spent three seasons at Indiana State before transferring to Wichita State. A solid start to this season – she hit .643 with nine kills in an opening win over Holy Cross – turned into disappointment when the ankle injury sidelined her in early September. She returned in late September at Tulsa, recording nine kills, two solo blocks and eight block-assists.
 
"Coming back from (injury) was, personally, a struggle," she said. "My team really helped me. They told me to just relax and give it time. I had to sit back and let myself get back to normal."
 
Johnson wanted to rush back to help the Shockers and because she knows her college volleyball days are limited. While she will spend one season at Wichita State, she is making a point to pass on as much of her experience as she can. 
 
"This is going to be their team and they're going to be talking to the freshmen – being a good leader is something that's really important," she said. "I've talked to the freshman and said 'Well, I know I'm new, too, but I can help you guys out. I've been here before. If you're struggling, you can come and talk to me.' It's a nice feeling that I get to go through that same experience with the girls, but in a different way, and also help them out."
 
The Shockers focused intensely on cutting down on hitting errors in recent practices and those drills paid off on Sunday. Lamb is also pleased with the progress of setters McKayla Wuensch, Kayce Litzau and Kora Kauling. That shows up prominently in the quick sets that give middle blockers their attempts. 
 
When the Shockers get the middles going, it discourages blockers from loading up on outside hitter Megan Taflinger.
 
"You've got to create some balance," Lamb said. "(The setters) are not only more accurate, they're more comfortable. They're willing to go there more often. As that goes, so goes our team. That's going to be part of the ascension."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.