Match 1: Wichita State (7-0, 2-0) vs. SMU (4-2, 0-2)
Friday, Feb. 26 | 6 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Charles Koch Arena)
**Pink Match for breast cancer awareness**
TV: ESPN+

Match 2: Wichita State vs. SMU
Saturday, Feb. 27 | Noon | Wichita, Kan. (Charles Koch Arena)
TV: ESPN+

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This Week: After being idle for two weeks, the Wichita State University volleyball team (7-0, 2-0 American) returns to action this Friday, Feb. 26, and Saturday, Feb. 27, with a pair of American Athletic Conference matches against AAC West Division Preseason Favorite SMU (4-2, 0-2 American) at Charles Koch Arena. Friday's contest is a 6 p.m. first serve, while Saturday's match is slated to begin at noon. Friday's match is the annual Pink Match for breast cancer awareness.

Media Coverage: Both matches against SMU will air live on ESPN+ with Shane Dennis on the call. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ at WatchESPN.com ($4.99/month subscription required) ... Both contests will feature free, live stats at ShockerStats.com ... No live audio will be available for the SMU matches.

Series History: Friday and Saturday's matches vs. the Mustangs will be the 10th and 11th meetings in the all-time series dating back to 1996. SMU holds a narrow 5-4 lead in the series and has won the last four meetings against the Shockers. WSU's last victory against SMU was in 2017 -- a 3-0 victory in Dallas, Texas.

About the Shockers: Wichita State enters the week at 7-0 overall and 2-0 in The American after winning at Tulsa Feb. 11-12, 3-0 and 3-1 ... Wichita State's seven-match winning streak marks its longest winning streak since 2017 when it won its opening seven contests ... Through seven contests, WSU is paced by sophomores Sophia Rohling (63 kills, 2.62 kills/set, .271 attack pct.), Nicole Anderson (71 kills, 3.23 kills/set, 64 digs, 2.91 digs/set), Kayce Litzau (141 assists, 5.64 assists/set, 12 service aces) and Sinalauli'i Uluave (100 digs, 4.00 digs/set), and seniors Brooke Smith (20 block assists, 1 block solo, 0.95 blocks/set, 38 kills, .360 attack pct.) and Emma Wright (15 block assists, 2 block solos, 0.85 blocks/set) ... As a team, the Shockers lead The American in opponent hitting percentage (.119), are tied for second in service aces (1.68 per set), rank fourth in hitting percentage (.228) and fifth in blocks (2.06 per set) ... In the latest NCAA national statistics, WSU ranks 18th in opponent hitting percentage ... Overall, Wichita State is averaging 13.2 kills, 12.1 assists, 1.7 aces, 17.7 digs and 2.1 blocks per set.

Scouting SMU: The SMU Mustangs enter the week at 4-2 overall and 0-2 in American Athletic Conference action after dropping a pair of home matches against Houston Feb. 11-12, 3-0 and 3-2 ... Through six matches, the Mustangs are led by sophomore outside hitter Jadyn Bauss (102 kills, 4.25 kills/set, .285 attack pct., 5 service aces, 88 digs, 3.67 digs/set), junior setter Lily Heim (180 assists, 11.25 assists/set, 41 digs, 2.56 digs/set), junior libero Bria' Merchant (7 service aces, 88 digs, 3.67 digs/set) and sophomore middle blocker Alex Glover (19 block assists, 4 block solos, 0.96 blocks per set) ... Heim was named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference Team ... The Mustangs rank third in The American in both hitting percentage (.238) and kills (13.67 per set) and are fourth in digs (17.96 per set) ... SMU is under the direction of 25th season head coach Lisa Seifert.

Weekly Honors: Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Brylee Kelly and sophomore libero Sinalauli'i Uluave were both named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll Feb. 15. Kelly averaged a team-best 3.43 kills and four points per set and hit .315 with 24 kills in Wichita State's two wins at Tulsa, while Uluave averaged a team-high 4.86 digs per set and compiled 44 digs in WSU's pair of victories over the Golden Hurricane.

At the Top: Sophomore setter Kayce Litzau is tied for the American Athletic Conference lead with 12 services aces in seven matches. The Greendale, Wis., native has compiled at least one ace in six of Wichita State's seven contests, including a career-high five at Missouri State Jan. 24 and three vs. North Texas Feb. 4.

On the Wright Track: Senior middle blocker Emma Wright enters the week ranked 12th in career blocks per set at 0.91. The Phoenix, Ariz., native has two block solos and 15 block assists for 17 total blocks in 20 sets this season.

Leading the Attack: Redshirt junior outside hitter Megan Taflinger ranks 11th in career kills per set (2.84) going into WSU's contests against SMU.

New Faces: Wichita State has 10 newcomers to the 2020-21 roster, including nine freshmen and one junior transfer. Freshmen include Sophie Childs (RS/OH), Natalie Foster (MB/RS), Lauren McMahon (MB), Lauren Phillips (S), Morgan Stout (MB), Marriah Buss (OH), Kylie Marneris (L), Morgan Weber (OH) and Hailey Plugge (S). Bryn Stansberry (L) is WSU's junior transfer.

Friendly Confines: The Shockers are an impressive 167-47 at home since moving to Charles Koch Arena in 2003. WSU's all-time record in Wichita, between the Heskett Center, Levitt Arena and Charles Koch Arena is a stellar 337-175-1 in 44 years.

Preseason Picks: Wichita State was picked to finish fourth in the 2020 American Athletic Conference West Division Coaches' Preseason Poll. SMU was tabbed the preseason favorite in the division with seven first-place votes and 52 points, while Tulane was voted second with a pair of first-place votes and 45 points. Houston rounded out the top three with the final two first-place votes, going along with 41 points. The Shockers were fourth with 26 points, while Tulsa (21 points) and Memphis (11 points) rounded out the poll in fifth and sixth, respectively.

In the East Division, UCF was tabbed the top team with 10 first-place votes and 46 points, with Cincinnati in second with the final first-place votes and 37 points. Temple was third with 26 points, and East Carolina and USF tied for fourth with 16 points each, rounding out the poll.

The Coach: Chris Lamb is beginning his 21st season as the head volleyball coach at Wichita State University. He has led the Shockers to at least 20 wins in 15 out of the last 17 seasons and was the National Coach of the Year by Volleyball Magazine in 2017. Lamb's career record stands at an impressive 443-197.

Shockers Sporting New Unity Patch: The three NCAA divisional Student-Athlete Advisory Committees and the Board of Governors Student-Athlete Engagement Committee recently collaborated to create a national Unity pledge and logo as a symbolic gesture to continue generating stronger unity among the NCAA's 1,100-plus schools and nearly 500,000 student-athletes ... The logo includes three different colored hands holding one another's wrists inside a circle with "United as One" at the bottom ... The mark was sent to all NCAA schools in the form of a patch to consider placing on uniforms ... The yearly pledge that accompanies the logo represents a unified statement by and for student-athletes in response to the social injustice and hate the country has experienced.

Up Next: WSU continues its homestand at Charles Koch Arena with a pair of conference contests against Memphis Friday, March 5, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 6, at 1 p.m.