The RoundHouse | 9/30/2022 4:04:00 PM

 
Within the free-flowing, circus-like highlights, volleyball is built on many small sequences that determine the direction of the ball and the result.
 
Shoulder position. Hand position. Arc of the volleyball. Bodies in the way.
 
Wichita State assistant coach Brian Hosfeld, in his first season with the Shockers, is working on decoding and solving those sequences. His knack for teaching individual defensive skills is part of the reason the Shockers are holding opponents to a .187 hitting percentage, third in the American Athletic Conference. In two conference matches, the Shockers held Temple and ECU to a combined .074 hitting percentage, best in the American.
 
Lamb appreciates Hosfeld's fresh eyes on his practices and Hosfeld's devotion to technique and fundamentals of digging and passing. Adequate digging and passing is not good enough for Hosfeld.
 
"Brian comes from a place where ball-control is premium," Lamb said. "He and I get to be old guys together training that way. I feel like I could be lured into 'Wow, I'm happy we got our kids this far.' Brian may say we're not done. Why not more? I'm sure that's going to be the flavor."
 
The best example is a three-person defense drill where three defenders watch Hosfeld's attack approaches and shots.
 
"To me, the game is sequential," Hosfeld said. "They're having to read my commitment to what my shot is, what I can do. Once I let the ball drop or cross my body, I can't hit the same areas of the court. I'm trying to get them to watch that whole process."
 
Those practice repetitions help the Shockers learn how to trust their blockers and trust their positioning. They learn to take a step back to give themselves more time on a hard-hit attack or move in to get under a tip over the block. Their direction from Hosfeld is to consider where the ball contacts their arms and how that contact point can improve to produce more accurate passing.

 

Set point. All-Out Effort.

Kicking off our @GreatClips #ClipoftheWeek with this incredible effort by @AnnalieH10 to help the Shockers sweep Temple in the conference opener.@GoShockersVB x #watchus pic.twitter.com/Pz9ZALCtao

— Go Shockers (@GoShockers) September 26, 2022

 

"We're learning new cues, we're making different reads," libero Lily Liekweg said. "We were already making those reads, but it's one step up."
 
Hosfeld learned the drill in Japan, a place where technique and ball control are valued.
 
"We're defining what should be happening when they do see it," he said. "You don't make it easiest for yourself if you don't make the adjustment, based on what you're seeing. That goes back to trust."
 
Wichita State (7-6, 2-0 American) plays No. 24 UCF on Sunday (1 p.m. ESPN+) in a match moved to Wichita from Orlando because Hurricane Ian. Wichita State's match against USF is postponed. Admission is free to Sunday's match and fans are encouraged to donate to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.
 
The Knights (10-0, 2-0) will test the Shocker defense with two-time conference Player of the Year McKenna Melville. UCF is hitting .314, second nationally.
 
Lamb spent much of the past year focusing on individual defensive skills and putting strategy on the backburner.
 
"Everybody is basically an upgraded defender," he said. "It's not so much about our system. You and the ball and are you better than you were? The answer is 'Yes.'"
 
Liekweg is starting at libero for the second straight season. Sophomores Lara Uyar and Annalie Heliste both played significant roles as freshmen.
 
"The littles are incredible, super hard-working," Liekweg said. "We have that mentality that nothing is going to hit."
 
Wichita State's defense also benefits when left Morgan Weber scores as efficiently as she did last weekend. Weber is a skilled defender and passer, and Lamb wants her on the court for those skills, while needing her to attack with more efficiency. Weber hit .405 with 18 kills in the wins over Temple and ECU to raise her season attack percentage to .125.
 
"Of all the six-rotation outside hitters in the league, she's a top two or three back-row player – serving, passing, digging," Lamb said. "She's learning how she can be successful, and all attackers need to keep that in mind, because they're not all built the same."
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.