WICHITA STATE (14-7, 8-4 American)
 
Friday, Nov. 5 (7 p.m. CT) vs. Houston (19-5, 9-3)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats // ESPN+
 
Sunday, Nov. 7 (12 p.m. CT) vs. Tulane (14-10, 7-5)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats // ESPN+
 

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After their eight-match winning streak was snapped on Sunday at UCF, the Shockers return to the friendly confines of Charles Koch Arena looking for revenge against Houston and Tulane.

Friday is Scout Night, with free admission for all scouts when they where their uniform to the match. Addtional family tickets can be purchased for only $5. Sunday is Kids Day, which means free admission for all youth age 12 and under.

Both matches will air on ESPN+. For more information about subscriptions, which start at $6.99/month, visit plus.espn.com. Track live scoring throughout the weekend at shockerstats.com.
 

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 SCENE SETTERS:

• The Shockers picked up a convincing three-set win on the road at South Florida, but UCF returned the favor with a sweep on Sunday to snap Wichita State's eight-match winning streak.
• The eight straight wins matched the Shockers winning streak to start the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
• WSU went from a dominating offensive effort on Friday (.329 hitting percentage) to one of their worst performances of the season on Sunday (.087). The Knights picked up ten blocks in three sets and recorded 38 digs.
• The Shockers found success at the service line over the weekend in Florida, setting a new season high with 13 aces against South Florida and adding five more against UCF. The three aces per set was more than double WSU's season average entering the weekend.
• Sunday's matchup at UCF wrapped up a string of four consecutive road matches for Wichita State. The Shockers now play four in a row at home, their longest stretch of home matches all season.
• WSU dropped six spots in the latest RPI to 60 - fourth among AAC schools behind UCF (21), Cincinnati (54), and Houston (59).
• The Shockers will be looking for revenge against Houston and Tulane, who knocked off the Shockers to open the conference schedule in late September. Both matches were played in Houston with Tulane displaced by Hurricane Ida.

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WSU-HOUSTON SERIES:

• Houston leads the all-time series 8-4, and is 6-2 against the Shockers in AAC matches.
• The Cougars swept WSU earlier this season, 25-20, 25-18, 25-18.
• The Shockers are 2-3 all-time against the Cougars in Houston but have never won in the Fertitta Center. Each of WSU's first three visits (2005, 2017,  2018) took place at UH's Alumni Center.
• The Shockers handed the Cougars their lone conference loss last spring. The teams split two matches in Wichita (Mar. 26-27). The Shockers took the first, 3-1, but the Cougars bounced back the next day for a 3-0 victory.

SCOUTING HOUSTON:

• Houston enters the weekend 19-5, 9-3 in the American. The Cougars sit in sole possession of second place and own the best overall record in the league.
• The Cougars have an outstanding defensive unit that leads the American with a .180 opponent hitting percentage. Libero Kate Georgiades leads the league with 5.09 digs per set, and middle Rachel Tullos ranks second on the circuit with 1.26 blocks per set.
• Houston is also one of the most elite serving teams in the country, pacing the conference and ranking top-25 nationally with 1.82 aces per set. Abbie Jackson leads the AAC individually with 0.39 per set, and Annie Cooke is right behind at 0.38.
• Jackson is a high-volume attacker who has the most swings in the AAC this season (1,156). The junior was named American All-Conference First Team in 2020.
• Third-year head coach David Rehr guided the Cougars to a 13-6 (9-1) record and the AAC's West Division title last season. The Cougars were picked second in the conference's preseason poll behind UCF in 2021. 

WSU-TULANE SERIES:

• Tulane leads the all-time series, 5-3. The Green Wave have taken four of seven AAC-era meetings. 
• The two teams met at the Fertitta Center in Houston earlier this season with Tulane displaced by the effects of Hurricane Ida. The Shockers took the first set, dropped the second, and had a 20-14 lead in the third before Tulane roared back for a 25-23 win.  The Green Wave then fended off a late Shocker rally in the fourth set to snatch the victory.

SCOUTING TULANE:

• Tulane enters the weekend 14-10, 7-5 in the American after a four-set defeat at Houston on Friday and a five-set win over Temple on Sunday.
• Tulane swept three home matches on opening weekend. The following day (Aug. 29), Hurricane Ida made landfall. Green Wave student-athletes were evacuated from New Orleans and spent the next three weeks playing exclusively on the road.
• Tulane was picked fourth in the AAC preseason poll.
• The Green Wave hit .243 as a team, second-best in the American.
• Defensively, Tulane ranks second-to-last in both blocks and digs per set.
• Former Baylor head coach Jim Barnes leads the Green Wave, now in his sixth season at the helm. The longtime coach also had previous stops at Lamar (1996-2001) and Wyoming (2002-03).

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UP NEXT:

• The Shockers continue the homestand with matches against Tulsa and Temple, both at Charles Koch Arena.
• All matches air on ESPN+.