The RoundHouse | 10/9/2023 2:28:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
A key figure in Wichita State's serving reset is sophomore Katie Galligan, who had to go through a reset herself.
 
Galligan, a defensive specialist from Omaha, wasn't happy with her playing time early in the season. Coach Chris Lamb watched her response to the setback.
 
"Katie didn't get what she wanted," Lamb said. "It's very difficult when you get less playing time when you get older. I've seen a lot of people react the wrong way. All Galligan did was improve as a competitor. She has raised her game."
 
Galligan displayed that perseverance in Sunday's 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-21) win over USF at Koch Arena. She led the Shockers with two aces to highlight her growing role and the team's changing approach to serving. Wichita State (11-5, 5-1 American Athletic Conference) won its third straight match and Lamb likes how the serving numbers are helping.
 
Galligan, after serving 13 times in her 11 previous matches, served 27 times in last week's 3-1 win at SMU, 11 times against Temple and 14 against USF, both sweeps.
 
"She's on roll," Lamb said. "She's found something and it's working for her. It's working for us."
 
Galligan worked through the disappointment of a reduced role after a freshman year in which she played in 28 of the team's 31 matches and finished with 118 digs, sixth on the team.
 
"I definitely felt frustration with myself and that I wasn't performing where I felt I had or I could," she said. "I put an emphasis on bringing energy to practice. Figuring out what I needed to do. Have more fun."
 
Those are the stories that coaches long to see shape their roster.
 
"She has made us better," Lamb said. "Her serving. Her passing. She had to get pushed and she had to push back. It's one of my favorite stories to see how react to tough results and battle back."
 
Galligan's jump-float serve fits how Lamb wants the Shockers to work. She keeps the ball in play, yet with enough wiggle to bother passers. The Shockers use a drill in practice where a missed serve gives the opposition two points.
 
"That puts pressure on you in practice, where I feel like it's easy, sometimes, to get carried away with being too aggressive," Galligan said. "In the games, it's focusing on making the other team uncomfortable."

 

Morgan² making it happen!

Great serve from Weber sets up a banger from Stout. pic.twitter.com/pWgJfdPuj1

— Wichita State Volleyball (@GoShockersVB) October 8, 2023

Lamb pulled back Shocker servers after statistics told him opponents passed too effectively earlier in the season. He feels confident in Wichita State's game in other aspects, so the numbers told him to tell his servers to back off high-risk serves and put the ball in play.
 
"We weren't trying to blow anybody up back there," he said. "If you think you're the better team at playing volleyball, then let's get it started and not miss as much. Let's just get the rally going. Let's make them make more contacts."
 
USF (11-7, 5-2) entered Sunday's match leading the American in aces. The Bulls finished with five aces and 10 errors. Wichita State recorded four aces and five errors. USF had two aces in the first set and two for the first two points of the second set. The Shockers adjusted from there and surrendered one more ace in the third set.
 
"We really try to focus on moving onto the next point," libero Gabi Maas said. "Feeding life into everybody. Keeping it together on the passing line is very important, because it can be a very mental game back there."
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.