The RoundHouse | 12/2/2024 7:43:00 AM
By Paul Suellentrop
Izzi Strand arrived in Wichita in January 2023 to restart her volleyball career with the aim of standing as one of 64 in December.
On Sunday evening, she watched ESPN with her teammates, coaches and fans. When the NCAA volleyball bracket showed "Wichita State," she had what she wanted.
"We've all dreamed of this since we were 5," she said. "Especially being my last year and finally achieving one of my biggest goals, it's just such a wholesome feeling."
The Shockers (18-13) are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. They play at SMU (24-7), which is seeded second in the region, at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Strand, a senior from Carlsbad, Calif., transferred from UC San Diego with two seasons of eligibility. Her addition coincides with Wichita State's best seasons since it went to NCAA's in 2016 and 2017. In 2023, the Shockers won the National Invitational Volleyball Championship after finishing second in the AAC. She earned AVCA All-Region honors and MVP of the NIVC.
Last weekend, they swept three teams in the AAC Championship to earn the conference's automatic bid in the 64-team NCAA field. Strand grabbed a spot on the all-tournament team to add to all-conference honors.
"You look across the net and most of the time I think 'I wouldn't trade,'" coach
Chris Lamb said. "Setters are the most looked-at thing in the gym, not named the volleyball. Teammates look at Izzi and see that she's into it. You can tell it's important to her."
Middle blocker
Morgan Stout quickly appreciated Strand's skills during the spring season in 2023. Strand's enthusiasm and openness to feedback helped Stout blossom from a raw talent into one of the nation's top middles.
"I love this, because she's so competitive and so driven to wanting the best for her hitters," Stout said. "Having that connection with Izzi has always been a confidence-booster for me. If her and I are not connecting she's like 'Just keep going. We're going to figure this out.'"
Her teammates see that attitude on the court.
"She helped the team grow a lot, and she herself as grown a lot," attacker
Emerson Wilford said. "She expects a lot out of you. She keeps things going, keeps people engaged as the setter."
In 2023, Strand took over an experienced group of attackers and helped the Shockers rank second in the AAC with a .255 hitting percentage and third in kills at 13.53 a set. This season, scoring is harder to come by. WSU is fifth in the AAC with a .222 hitting percentage and 12.77 kills a set.
Strand guided the Shockers through a tough non-conference schedule. She kept them near the top of the AAC despite an inconsistent offense. In the AAC Championship, she directed a low-error attack to sweeps of Tulsa, top-seeded USF and Florida Atlantic. WSU hit .215 and averaged 12.33 kills a set.
"She's had to make adjustments with different offenses as we've been putting different people in and out," Lamb said. "Even when we were winning, we would change our lineup, because things just didn't seem right, and we were trying to find the magic combo."
The Shockers will try to continue that approach this weekend in Dallas. WSU split matches last season at SMU when the Mustangs played in the American Athletic Conference. Former Shocker middle
Natalie Foster transferred to SMU and ranks fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with an attack percentage of .359.
"It was the mindset – we put our heads down and we played as a team," Strand said.
The Shockers should not be overwhelmed by the competition after facing a non-conference schedule with Nebraska, Kansas, Arizona State.
"Things are clicking from all aspects – the volleyball part of it, the team chemistry part of it," Wilford said. "We proved we can compete at a high level, and we know how to do it."
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
