The RoundHouse | 10/16/2020 8:24:00 AM

 
Bri Weber wears her Wichita State shirts around Cedar Falls, Iowa, a wardrobe choice that requires an explanation.
 
She is happy to explain. 
 
Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa. Weber, now a nursing student, played volleyball for the Panthers and earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2016 and 2017 as an outside hitter.
 
"I do have Shocker gear and I get crap for it every time I go and see some of my old teammates," she said. "I wear those quite frequently."
 
Weber didn't switch sides in a grand old MVC volleyball rivalry. She adopted the Shockers when her sister signed to play volleyball at Wichita State. Morgan Weber, a freshman outside hitter, is making a strong impression in her first months as a Shocker and that goes beyond her sister's closet.
 
"She's family," Bri Weber said. "If I have to support the Shockers, I most definitely will support the Shockers."
 
The Shockers play their third public scrimmage at 6 p.m. Friday at Koch Arena. If form holds, fans will get a look at Morgan Weber's energy and versatility and see why coach Chris Lamb envisions her as a mainstay of the lineup.
 
"She's putting herself in a position to be one of the busier players on our team and you could set your watch to that for . . . four to five years," he said. 
 
With the season delayed until the spring, Lamb is using the public scrimmages to spice up practices and maintain connection with fans. Attendance is limited to 2,000 people and admission is free.
 
"It's always a good way to show our fans that we're still here, we're still ready to go in the spring," Weber said. "It's really brought our team together to have that experience of playing six-on-six again, since a lot of us haven't been able to play since last year."
 
Weber, from Dike, Iowa, recorded 13 kills and 22 digs in the first scrimmage and 10 kills and 12 digs in the second. 
 
"She is very high energy and takes great swings, super powerful," sophomore right-side Sophia Rohling said. "Having her come in makes the whole team better. I cannot wait to see what's going to happen all the time she's here."
 
That energy attracted the Shockers to Weber during recruiting.
 
"Gym rat," Lamb said. "She's always out there giving you everything. That was my first image of her . . . she's going to go get that ball. She's going to get off the net and get ready to hit, take big approaches. A high-effort player and, walking in the door, it's already impactful."
 
Weber's contributions during fall practices go beyond her six-rotation skills. Coaches see her attitude and presence lifting other Shockers. 
 
"She makes other people around her play harder, that's for sure," assistant coach Chelsea Scott said. "People see her effort and competitiveness and it forces them to raise their own willingness to try."
 
That spirit is part of life in the Weber family. Older brother Royce golfs at UNI. Four of her cousins played college volleyball. The family card games ("Pass the Trash" and "31" are favorites) and golf outings are competitive. 
 
"We'll play card games at home, and if I didn't win – oooh, I wasn't too happy," Weber said. "Even though the game itself is about luck, what you draw, it's still 'I've got to win and I've got to win the next round.'" 
 
Morgan Weber considers golf a close second to volleyball as her favorite sport. She won two Class 2A titles for Dike-New Hartford High School.
 
"She's one of those players that, she will hit 100 bad shots, but the only shot she is going to talk to you for the rest of the day about is the one good shot she had," Bri Weber said. "She gets kind of feisty if things aren't going well. If she hits a bad shot, she will get kind of upset. But then she will bounce back right away."
 
Morgan Weber grew up in that atmosphere and watching how her older sister navigated practice, matches and recruiting helped her along. Northern Iowa is a regular in the NCAA Tournament and Morgan learned how that life works.
 
"She has helped me so much," Morgan Weber said. "I remember always going to the gym with here. She would serve at me when I did serve-receive. She would hit at me when I would play defense. Being able to watch her and the way she moved, it was a good experience to have."
 
Playing role model is important to Morgan Weber now that she is in position to influence others. Her advice starts with practice and then more practice – doing work that others don't.
 
"Watching my sister, it's given me the drive to strive to be an athlete that can show other people they can do what they want to do," Morgan Weber said. "I want to show younger athletes that, if they work hard and put in extra work, they can do whatever they want to do. People struggle to find that good mindset. Wake up early. Eat healthy foods. Get extra reps in whatever sport you want to do."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.