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Volleyball Preview: Shocker Volleyball Classic

9/5/2023 10:39:00 PM

WICHITA STATE (3-2, 0-0 American)

Thursday, Sep. 7 (7:00 p.m. CT) vs. #22 Kansas (3-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

Friday, Sep. 8 (3:00 p.m. CT) #22 Kansas (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Colorado (5-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats

Saturday, Sep. 9 (7:00 p.m. CT) vs. Colorado (5-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats // Watch
 

Wichita State returns to the friendly confines of Charles Koch Arena for the Shocker Volleyball Classic against Kansas and Colorado.

Both Wichita State matches will be streamed on ESPN+. Track live scoring throughout the week at shockerstats.com.

SCENE SETTERS:
  • The Shockers welcome a pair of 2022 NCAA tournament teams to The Roundhouse this week, hosting #22-ranked Kansas and Colorado as part of the Shocker Volleyball Classic.
  • Thursday represents the regular season home opener for the Shockers, who did host Oklahoma in an exhibition match at Charles Koch Arena on August 17.
  • Wichita State last hosted the Shocker Volleyball Classic in 2021, going 1-2 with a win against South Dakota and losses to Wyoming  and #17-ranked Creighton.
  • The 2023 version is the 14th iteration of the Shocker Volleyball Classic, which began in 2004. WSU seeks their first undefeated home tournament since 2009, when the Shockers bested North Carolina, Grambling State and Oklahoma.
  • This is the first Shocker Volleyball Classic to feature two Power Five programs since 2015, when Wichita State hosted Kentucky and Illinois.
  • Despite 57 meetings all time with the Jayhawks, Kansas has never participated in the Shocker Volleyball Classic.
  • The Shockers look for their first win against ranked opposition since 2017 on Thursday. Wichita State defeated #8 Creighton on September 15, 2017 (also the program's highest-ever win) and have since lost 17 straight against teams in the AVCA Top 25. WSU played six ranked opponents in 2022 (Creighton, Kansas, Houston 2x, UCF 2x).
  • The tournament features some of the nation's most potent attacking units. Entering play on Thursday, Kansas ranks sixth nationally in kills per set (14.87) while Colorado checks in seventh in the country in hitting percentage (.340). Wichita State is 45th in opponent hitting percentage (.149).
LOOKING BACK:
  • Wichita State put together a strong showing in Champaign, Illinois, knocking off Illinois on Friday night in five sets before rolling to a straight sets sweep of Illinois State on Saturday afternoon.
  • The win against Illinois was the first road victory for the Shockers against a Big Ten team in program history, and the first win of any kind against the conference since 2008.
  • Senior opposite Sophia Rohling was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll after two excellent matches. The southpaw led the Shockers in kills both days, pouring in 14 against the Fighting Illini and following up with 10 on just 16 swings against Illinois State. She also notched a career-best seven digs against the Redbirds.
  • Middle blocker Morgan Stout continued her strong offensive start to the season with 17 combined kills. After hitting .202 and .178 in her first two seasons as a Shocker, Stout has raised her hitting percentage to .280 and did not commit an error in 15 swings against Illinois State.
  • Outside hitter Emerson Wilford has already surpassed her 2022 kill total through the first five matches of 2023. The sophomore has reached double-figure terminations three times and joined Stout with a flawless attacking performance on 22 attempts against the Redbirds.
  • In her first season with the program after transferring from UC San Diego, setter Izzi Strand has taken no time to orchestrate the Shocker attack. The senior leads the American Athletic Conference with 10.00 assists per set, highlighted by 49 against Illinois to go along with 12 digs and six blocks.
WSU-KANSAS SERIES:
  • The Shockers and Jayhawks have met 57 times in program history, with Kansas holding a 44-13 lead in the all-time series. The Jayhawks last played in Wichita during the COVID-altered season in the spring of 2021; prior to that, the last trip to Wichita for Kansas came in 2002.
  • Kansas has won 11 of the last 12 matchups, though the one Wichita State victory was arguably one of the most significant in Shocker volleyball history. In 2012, the Shockers rallied from an early deficit to knock off #20 ranked Kansas and advance to the first Sweet Sixteen in program history.
  • Last season, Kansas swept Wichita State 25-18, 25-15, 25-20 at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in early September, recording 14.0 team blocks in three sets and getting 14 kills from Ayah Elnady.
SCOUTING THE JAYHAWKS:
  • Kansas enters play on Thursday with a record of 3-1, boasting a two-match sweep at the Omaha Tournament before splitting a pair at home against top-25 opponents Purdue and Marquette. The Jayhawks lone loss of the season against Purdue was a five-set thriller that featured 11 ties and five lead changes in the final set alone.
  • Junior setter Camryn Turner is one of the best players in the country at her position, ranking 11th nationally in assists per set at 11.20. Turner was named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
  • A trio of transfers surround Turner to provide the Kansas offensive firepower. Reagan Cooper (Texas Tech), Mykayla Myers (TCU) and Toyosi Onabanjo (Iowa) combine to average more than 6.7 kills per set.
  • Ray Bechard is in his 26th season at the helm of the Jayhawks. Bechard has led Kansas to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a run of six consecutive trips from 2012-2017. A four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, Bechard owns a career record of 450-303.
WSU-COLORADO SERIES:
  • Wichita State and Colorado have just one previous meeting, a straight-sets victory for the Shockers at the 1986 Wichita State Invitational.
  • This will be Colorado's first visit to Charles Koch Arena, as the Shockers played their home matches at the Heskett Center from 1983-1990.
SCOUTING THE BUFFALOES:
  • Colorado brings a 5-1 record to Wichita, bouncing back from a season-opening defeat to UNLV with five consecutive sweeps (Campbell, North Texas, Northern Colorado, Xavier, Charlotte).
  • The Buffaloes are hitting .340 as a team, led by towering 6'7 middle blocker Alexia Kuehl (.532) and North Carolina transfer Skyy Howard (.443).
  • Head coach Jesse Mahoney is in his eighth season in Boulder, with a career record of 297-174. Mahoney began his collegiate head coaching career at Fort Hays State in Kansas, leading the Tigers from 2000-2004.
UP NEXT:
  • Wichita State wraps up non-conference play at the Northern Colorado Classic against Bradley, Omaha and host Northern Colorado September 14-16 in Greeley.
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