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Lily Liekweg

Volleyball Preview: NIVC Rounds 1 & 2

12/2/2022 12:39:00 PM

WICHITA STATE (18-12, 13-6 American)
 
Sunday, Dec. 4 (1:00 p.m. CT) Weber State (17-11, 11-5 Big Sky) vs. Drake (26-7, 16-2 MVC)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

Sunday, Dec. 4 (3:30 p.m. CT) vs. Grand Canyon (17-10, 10-4 WAC)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

Monday, Dec. 5 (5:30 p.m. CT) TBA vs. TBA
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Watch
 

The Shockers host Rounds 1 and 2 of the National Invitational Volleyball Championships at Charles Koch Arena, taking on Grand Canyon while Drake and Weber State battle on the other side of the bracket.

All matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.  Track live scoring throughout the weekend at shockerstats.com.

SCENE SETTERS:
  • Wichita State returns to postseason play for the first time since 2018, hosting Rounds 1 & 2 of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
  • The Shockers battle Grand Canyon on Sunday afternoon following the conclusion of Weber State vs. Drake, which is scheduled for a 1:00 pm first serve. The winners of those two matches will meet on Monday evening at 5:30 pm.
  • Among the trio of visitors are two unfamiliar foes and one that is very familiar. The Shockers have never played Grand Canyon or Weber State, but Chris Lamb has a career record of 33-1 against Drake, his most wins against any one opponent.
  • WSU enters the postseason winners of four straight matches and seven of their last eight. It's the longest winning or losing streak during the 2022 season.
  • The Shockers last trip to the postseason was also in the NIVC in 2018. Wichita State defeated Central Arkansas before falling in four sets to host North Texas. Current Grand Canyon player Megan Taflinger led the Shockers with 39 combined kills in the two matches.
  • Three Shockers earned All-American Athletic Conference honors on Tuesday. Middle blocker Natalie Foster and outside hitter Brylee Kelly snagged a spot on the First Team, while opposite Sophia Rohling earned Second Team honors.
  • WSU is 14-1 this season when winning the first set (only loss on Oct. 30 vs. UCF) and 4-11 when trailing 1-0.
  • The Shockers finished the regular season with an RPI of 60, fourth-best in the AAC and second-best in the NIVC field. Wichita State trailed UCF (17), Houston (18), and SMU (59) among teams in The American.
LOOKING BACK:
  • Wichita State finished the regular season with road wins at SMU and Memphis, defeating the Mustangs 20-25, 26-24, 17-25, 25-19, 15-12 and the Tigers 25-21, 25-21, 25-27, 25-16.
  • The Shockers did not have a single player reach double-digit kills against SMU, but produced three with 10+ and two others with nine in the victory over Memphis. The Shockers hit 130 points better against the Tigers and set a new season high with 66 kills.
  • Middle blocker Morgan Stout was named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week after recording 10 blocks against SMU and six more versus Memphis. It's the second career double-digit block performance for the sophomore, who had 11 last season in a win over Tulsa.
  • Two Shockers reached career milestones last week. Libero Lily Liekweg had 22 digs in Dallas to reach 1,000 for her career, while setter Kayce Litzau surpassed 3,000 career assists in the Memphis match. Litzau also equaled a season high with 55 helpers.
  • Brylee Kelly posted 20 kills and 11 digs in the win over Memphis. Through her first three collegiate seasons, Kelly had one double-double; she has recorded seven in 30 matches this season.
  • The Shockers combined for 26 total blocks in nine sets of play last week. WSU finished the regular season as the second-best blocking unit in The American, averaging 2.36 per set.
  • Wichita State overcame 14 service errors to defeat Memphis, just two days after recording more aces (7) than errors (6) in the win over SMU. The Shockers finished the regular season 268th nationally in service aces per set.
WSU-GRAND CANYON SERIES:
  • Sunday will be the first meeting between the Shockers and Lopes.
SCOUTING THE LOPES:
  • Grand Canyon enters the postseason with an overall record of 17-10, going 10-4 in the WAC to finish in a tie for third. Regular season champ UTRGV is also in the NIVC field.
  • This is the first postseason appearance at the Division 1 level for the Lopes.
  • Three Grand Canyon players were tabbed First Team All-Conference: Kansas City grad transfer Melanie Brecka, veteran setter Klaire Mitchell, and star freshman Tatum Parrott.
  • Mitchell is a two-time setter of the year in the WAC, and finished the regular season second on the circuit with 10.16 assists per set. Parrott was the Lopes top scorer, ranking fourth in the league with 3.33 kills per set.
  • Former Shocker Megan Taflinger began the season at outside hitter but transitioned to libero in late October. She spent three seasons in Wichita, recording 730 kills wearing the Black and Yellow.
  • The Lopes had a string of 21 consecutive set victories from October 22 through November 17. That streak was snapped in the WAC quarterfinals, where GCU was downed by eventual conference champion Stephen F. Austin in four sets.
  • Head coach Tim Nollan is in his seventh season at the helm of the Lopes following a nine-year stint as an assistant and associate head coach at USC. After a 14-39 start in his first two seasons in Phoenix, Nollan has posted an 82-44 mark since.
WSU-DRAKE SERIES:
  • The Shockers lead the all-time series against the Bulldogs 49-17 in a series history that dates back to the 1976 season.
  • Head coach Chris Lamb lost his first meeting against Drake on September 15, 2000 and has not lost to the Bulldogs since. Under Lamb's direction, the Shockers have defeated Drake 33 straight times.
  • Over the course of the last ten matchups, the Bulldogs have claimed just two sets. The last meeting between the two programs came in 2016, before the Shockers departed the Missouri Valley Conference for The American.
  • The Shockers set several school records in a 2003 victory against the Bulldogs (30-17, 30-13, 30-17). WSU hit .583 for the match, best in program history, and also notched 19 service aces, their most in any three-set match.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
  • Drake enters the postseason with the most regular season victories in the NIVC field, boasting a sterling 26-7 overall record. The Bulldogs finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference at 16-2, and had their 12-match winning streak snapped with a five-set loss to Northern Iowa in the MVC Tournament Championship. It was the first title game appearance for the Bulldogs since 1996.
  • Drake is just one win shy of a new program record for victories in a season. The Bulldogs also won 26 matches in 1996.
  • Senior outside hitter Haley Bush was named 2022 MVC Player of the Year, the second such honor of her career. Bush leads the Bulldogs with 4.25 kills per set.
  • Freshman setter Addison Beagle became the first MVC Freshman of the Year in program history, leading all freshman nationally with 1,301 total assists.
  • Head coach Darrin McBroom is in his tenth season in Des Moines. The 2020 MVC Coach of the Year, McBroom won 322 matches at the NJCAA level with MCC-Longview and Iowa Western.
WSU-WEBER STATE SERIES:
  • Wichita State and Weber State have never met in volleyball.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:
  • Weber State finished the regular season at 17-11 overall and 11-5 in the Big Sky, tying for second place with fellow NIVC participant Portland State. Former Shocker opponent Northern Colorado claimed the Big Sky regular season and tournament titles.
  • The Wildcats are no strangers to the postseason or the NIVC. Last season they advanced to the quarterfinals of the event, downing CSU Bakersfield and Portland State before dropping a five-set heartbreaker to UTEP.
  • The year prior, Weber State picked up the first NCAA tournament win in program history with a four-set victory against Bowling Green.
  • The Wildcats boast an elite defensive unit that led the Big Sky in opponent hitting percentage (.164) and digs per set (16.2), while finishing second in blocks per set (2.64).
  • Four-time Big Sky All-Conference First Team selection Dani Richins supplies the offensive firepower. She leads the Wildcats with 3.24 kills per set.
  • Head coach Jeremiah Larsen is in his eighth season in Ogden. He has led Weber State to three conference titles after arriving from Utah State.
UP NEXT:
  • The Shockers either advance to Round 3 of the NIVC on Wednesday or conclude the 2022 season.
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