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Izzi Strand

Volleyball Preview: Under Armour Challenge

8/23/2023 9:42:00 AM

WICHITA STATE (0-0, 0-0 American)
 
Friday, Aug. 25 (1:30 p.m. CT) vs. Notre Dame
Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

Friday, Aug. 25 (7:00 p.m. CT) at Texas Tech
Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

Saturday, Aug. 26 (11:30 a.m. CT) vs. Houston Christian
Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Live Stats // Watch
 

The Shockers kick off 2023 with three matches over the span of two days in Lubbock, Texas at the Under Armour Challenge. A Friday doubleheader against Notre Dame and Texas Tech precedes a Saturday match against Houston Christian.

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

SCENE SETTERS:
  • Wichita State opens the 2023 season at the Under Armour Challenge in Lubbock, Texas against Notre Dame and host Texas Tech on Friday, followed by a single match against Houston Christian on Saturday. All three matches will take place at United Supermarkets Arena.
  • Wichita State has opened the season on the road each of the last 16 seasons. The Shockers have won six consecutive season-opening contests, with their last loss coming on the road at Iowa State in 2016.
  • Head coach Chris Lamb (482-228) enters his 24th season needing 18 more victories to reach 500 wins for his career. Lamb owns a record of 16-7 in season openers. The Shockers have played just once previously in Lubbock, taking part in the season-opening 1989 Red Raider Classic. Wichita State dropped a five-set decision to Texas Tech, followed by losses to Arizona State and LSU.
  • Wichita State has never played Notre Dame or Houston Christian. Texas Tech leads the all-time series 4-3, though WSU is 3-0 against the Red Raiders under Chris Lamb.
  • After the 2022 roster did not include any transfers, Lamb added six prior to the spring semester in 2023. The group includes NJCAA Player of the Year Barbara Koehler from Florida SouthWestern and experienced setter Izzi Strand from UC San Diego, plus Gabi Maas (TCU), Megan Reilly (Arizona State), Madison Wilson (Idaho) and Brooklyn Leggett (Colorado Mesa).
  • The Shockers placed two players on the AAC Preseason All-Conference Team, spearheaded by OH Brylee Kelly as Preseason Co-Player of the Year, the first WSU player to earn the honor in The American. MB Natalie Foster joined Kelly on the All-Conference Team.
LOOKING BACK:
  • Wichita State is coming off an 18-13 (13-6) campaign a year ago, finishing fourth in the American Athletic Conference standings. The Shockers returned to postseason play for the first time since 2018 by accepting a bid to the NIVC but were eliminated in the first round by Grand Canyon.
  • The Shockers won seven of their last eight matches to end the regular season, highlighted by a come-from-behind five-set win over SMU that was televised nationally on ESPNU.
  • Three Shockers earned All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2022. Middle blocker Natalie Foster and outside hitter Brylee Kelly snagged a spot on the First Team, while opposite Sophia Rohling earned Second Team honors.
  • Wichita State is tasked with replacing a pair of experienced players at libero and setter. Libero Lily Liekweg racked up more than 1,000 career digs in her four seasons before transferring to Idaho State, and setter Kayce Litzau reached 3,000 assists before transferring to Washington after four seasons with the Shockers.
  • WSU's physical front line led the American Athletic Conference in total blocks with 284.0, as seven players produced 35.0 or more rejections. Foster led the way with an even 100.0, just ahead of talented redshirt junior Morgan Stout at 99.0.
  • The Shockers seek a reversal of fortune at the service line, where WSU struggled to find consistency in 2022. Wichita State ranked 274th nationally with 1.26 aces per set and committed 2.17 errors per stanza.
  • Do-it-all outside Morgan Weber was a member of the exclusive club of players to average more than one kill per set while also leading the team in digs.
SEASON PREVIEW:
  • Head coach Chris Lamb returns an experienced roster in 2023. Wichita State brings back 94% of their kills from last season's roster, with all-conference hitters Brylee Kelly, Sophia Rohling and Natalie Foster leading the way. The roster features nine players who have spent at least three years in the program.
  • While Wichita State must replace departed libero Lily Liekweg, the returning "littles" provide a solid defensive nucleus. Junior defensive specialist Annalie Heliste has the most match experience, and sophomore Katie Galligan stepped into a prominent role last year as a true freshman. Newcomer Gabi Maas, a TCU transfer, earned the nod at libero in the exhibition, and freshman Reagan Anderson will be a day one contributor. Redshirt junior Kylie Marneris is one of the Shockers emotional leaders and played in three matches in 2022.
  • Now in her sixth season in the program, outside hitter Brylee Kelly is on pace to leave her mark in the Wichita State record book. Kelly enters 2023 with 986 career kills, needing 132 to break into the top ten of WSU's career leaderboard. Should Kelly match her 2022 total of 396 kills, she would climb to #3 on the list.
  • Junior transfer Barbara Koehler is expected to boost the Shocker attack following a standout career at Florida SouthWestern. Koehler was named 2022 NJCAA DI Volleyball Player of the Year and AVCA Two-Year College Player of the Year after leading the Buccaneers to the NJCAA National Championship, averaging 3.74 kills per set while hitting .324. In Wichita State's spring match against national power Nebraska, Koehler led WSU with 10 kills on just 18 attempts, hitting .444.
  • The AAC has a new look in 2023, as UCF, Houston and Cincinnati have departed for the Big 12. In their place are newcomers UAB, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice and UTSA. The conference has also altered its schedule with the introduction of divisions. Teams play opponents within their own division back-to-back on Fridays and Saturdays, while playing single matches against opponents from outside the division on Fridays and Sundays. Wichita State's fellow West Division foes are North Texas, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, and UTSA.
  • Wichita State is scheduled to play four first-time opponents in 2023. In addition to conference newcomers Florida Atlantic and UAB, the Shockers take on Notre Dame and Houston Christian for the first time in program history at the season-opening Under Armour Challenge. WSU has played 2023 opponents Colorado and Charlotte just once apiece. 
WSU-NOTRE DAME SERIES:
  • Friday will be the first meeting between the Shockers and Fighting Irish.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH:
  • Notre Dame is coming off a 10-18 season a year ago, including a 5-13 mark in ACC play good for 12th place in the 15-team conference.
  • The Fighting Irish opened last season at home against Texas Tech and now make the return trip to Lubbock to kick off the 2023 slate.
  • The Fighting Irish won four ACC matches in a row from Oct. 7-16, but followed that hot stretch by dropping nine straight, including six sweeps. Notre Dame shares two common opponents with Wichita State on the 2023 schedule, as the Fighting Irish will host Illinois and Oklahoma in consecutive matches.
  • Head coach Salima Rockwell is in her second season in South Bend after succeeding Mike Johnson, who was not retained after four years. Rockwell's coaching career is highlighted by two stints at Penn State, where she helped the Nittany Lions to three national championships. Rockwell was a three-time All-American setter for Penn State and captained the US National Team. Rockwell also served as an assistant at Texas from 2009-13, where she was on the same coaching staff as current Wichita State assistant coach Brian Hosfeld.
  • Notre Dame struggled offensively a season ago, ranking last in the ACC in both hitting percentage (.172) and kills per set (11.52). Leading hitters Lucy Trump and Avery Ross return after combining for 479 kills in 2022. Returning setter Phyona Schrader had two triple doubles in 2022, and the Irish have also added Georgia Tech graduate transfer Nicole Drewnick at the position.
WSU-TEXAS TECH SERIES:
  • The Red Raiders lead the all-time series against the Shockers 4-3 in a series history that dates back to 1979.
  • Head coach Chris Lamb is 3-0 against Texas Tech.
  • Six of the seven matchups have taken place at a neutral site. The lone exception is Texas Tech's 3-2 win in 1989.
  • The last meeting took place in 2016 as part of UTSA's Roadrunner Roundup. Tabitha Brown, Jody Larson and Abbie Lehman had 12 kills apiece as Wichita State completed the sweep, part of a season-ending 19-match losing streak for Texas Tech.
SCOUTING THE RED RAIDERS:
  • Texas Tech is coming off a 16-13 (5-11) season in 2022, ending the campaign in a tie for seventh in the nine-team Big 12 standings. The Red Raiders opened the season 13-2 including consecutive conference victories but lost 10 of the next 11 matches.
  • The Red Raiders are tasked with replacing a pair of all-conference honorees in 2023. Outside hitter Kenna Sauer led Texas Tech with 423 kills on her way to a First Team All-Big 12 selection, while middle blocker Brooke Kanas was a Second Team pick after pacing the Red Raiders with 111 blocks.
  • Senior setter Reese Rhodes is back in Lubbock after ranking 34th nationally with 10.53 assists per set. Only Maddie O'Brien (126 kills) returns among the five Red Raiders who notched triple-digit kills in 2022.
  • The Red Raiders have added three Power Five transfers to the roster in 2023, highlighted by former Tennessee right-side Emily Merrick. Elena Leontaridou (Providence) and Simone Overbeck (Arizona) join Merrick among the transfers.
  • Longtime head coach Tony Graystone enters his eighth season at the helm of the Red Raiders. Now in his 24th season as head coach, Graystone has accumulated a record of 545-266, including seven seasons with 30 or more wins while at D-II powerhouse West Texas A&M.
WSU-HOUSTON CHRISTIAN SERIES:
  • Saturday will be the first meeting between the Shockers and Huskies.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES:
  • Houston Christian is coming off perhaps the best season in program history, a 23-11 campaign that included the Huskies first Southland Conference regular season championship. The Huskies lost in the Southland Conference Tournament championship to Southeastern Louisiana, then dropped their postseason opener in the NIVC first round at UTRGV.
  • The Huskies ranked among the nation's leaders in several major statistical categories, including team digs (2,172 - 8th), total attacks (4,704 - 9th) and team assists (1,582 - 18th). Setter Grace McLaughlin racked up 1,268 assists, 23rd nationally, on her way to conference Newcomer of the Year honors.
  • Right side Anna Gadway, outside hitter Sara Arroyo and middle blocker Audrey Pearce joined McLaughlin on the all-conference team. All four Huskies return in 2023, plus setter Ellie Wipf, was First Team All-Southland in 2021 before she was sidelined due to injury.
  • Head coach Trent Herman is a Kansas native, born in Garden City before playing college volleyball at Fort Hays State. Now in his 12th season at Houston Christian and 14th overall, Herman owns a career record of 192-149 (.563). The 23 wins last season are the most for the Huskies under Herman, who was named the Southland Coach of the Year.
UP NEXT:
  • The Shockers trek north to Champaign, Illinois for a tournament against the host Fighting Illini and former Missouri Valley Conference foe Illinois State.
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