Volleyball | 11/20/2025 12:34:00 PM
By
Paul Suellentrop
Katie Galligan heard coach
Chris Lamb yelling "softball, softball," at her during her first match as a Shocker in 2022. She had no idea why, a nightmare moment for a freshman.
"I was so lost," she said. "I was like 'I'm playing volleyball.' No clue what he was talking about."
Lamb wanted the Shockers in a defense called "softball," one that guards against setters trying to score. Teammate
Annalie Heliste, now a graduate assistant, explained to Galligan on the sideline.
"I said 'Annalie, I don't know what he's saying,'" Galligan said. "She could have just left me high and dry. She probably would have gone in."
That moment convinced Galligan that the sisterhood of the littles at Wichita State meant something, something symbolized by the swim goggles she would later receive and hand out to younger teammates.
Shockers littles – the defensive specialists – stick together, in part because they realize they are often last on the list for cheers and praise due to the nature of the position. Heliste and Galligan competed for playing time at libero and defensive specialist. That competition came second to helping each other.
The meme that started the goggles tradition.
"Right there is where I really realized, 'Wow, I am so thankful for her," Galligan said. "She made the team better."
Fifth-seeded Wichita State (18-10) plays fourth-seeded North Texas (21-8) at 12:30 p.m., Friday (ESPN+) in the first round of the American Championship in Tampa, Fla. The winner plays either eighth-seeded UTSA or top-seeded Rice at 11 a.m., Saturday in a semifinal.
The Shockers swept three opponents in the tournament in 2024, largely thanks to a superb defensive performance. If they dial up another run, it will almost assuredly come with strong performances from junior libero
Gabi Maas, Galligan, a senior, and sophomore
Grace Hett. They helped WSU hold opponents to a .192 hitting percentage, .187 in conference play. Recent matches against Rice and second-place USF, in which the Shockers held both well under their season average for hitting percentage, highlight their work.
With those three experienced returners, Lamb entered 2025 with confident in the position. He ranks his group second in the conference behind Rice, although he said he expected a bit better.
"The defensive numbers have been good, not great," he said. "Serving has been better than I thought and continued to improve. Passing definitely came around, but I'm not going to lie. I wanted more. Remember, I have high expectations."
The littles are used to that kind of discourse. Playing in the back row is perhaps the sport's most under-appreciated job. Many of their best plays turn into highlights for attackers. It's a lonely spot when a serve glances off their hands for an ace. Practice time means taking the best shots repeatedly from teammates. All of them want to wear the libero jersey.
"Being a little in Shocker volleyball is super challenging," Maas said. "We get a lot of responsibilities put on us. The coaches aren't easy on us. Being a little in general can be really hard."
That is why the goggles matter. The Shockers credit former assistant coach Chelsea Scott, herself a libero, with sending the littles a meme that summarizes a vibe offensive linemen in football understand.
The scene is a swimming pool. An adult is holding up a smiling child, focusing her attention on that swimmer. Deep below the water is a skeleton. The smiling child is labeled "hitters." The skeleton is "libero."
"There's quite a bit of pressure," Galligan said. "Which is fine. That's part of our position. That's part of what you take on."
From that meme sprang the tradition of handing out personalized swim goggles to new littles after they complete two semesters with the Shockers. The goggles symbolize the group's need to eliminate worrying about the tough aspects of the position and look clearly at helping each other and the team.
"In one ear and out the other with the negativity," Galligan said. "It's a little tradition thing keeping our group together. We've always had a good group here of littles, helping each other succeed while being competitive. At other programs, I've heard from other people, it is not at all like that. Very hostile toward each other. It is quite the opposite here. I hope that continues on for years and years to come."
That support comes in many ways on the way to goggles. Dinners. Texting newcomers to check on their questions and needs during fall practice. Constant reinforcement after a bad pass or a failure to dig. Hett started the relationship with Galligan during a summer camp in high school.
"We'll have a great up and they get a great kill, and everyone is cheering for the kill," Hett said. "We're cheering for each other. Letting each other know we're doing awesome. 'You're doing amazing, you're doing amazing. Great up.'"
Maas, Galligan and Hett each wore the libero jersey during their career. Maas wore it most consistently this season due to her platform and volleyball smarts, both acknowledged as the group's best. Galligan's desire and range bring an energy to the court and her play at libero late in 2024 sparked the run to the NCAA Tournament. Lamb calls Hett a rising star and a lockdown passer.
"Gabi, she is so spicy on the court," Hett said. "She going to do anything to win. She keeps my spirits up. I'll make a mistake, and she'll say 'You got it, girl. Let's go.' That helps us move on quickly."
Addisson Gardner, a freshman who is redshirting, impressed Galligan with good practices during a season in which she did not play in matches.
"There was one match when Lambo got after me a bit and she called me after and was really nice," Galligan said. "It's cool to see that from a freshman, because you wonder what impact she'll have a year from now, two, three years, if she already has that much."
Maas, Hett and Gardner are all eligible to return next fall to continue the support system defined by goggles. Galligan wants to extend her career a few more weeks.
On Tuesday, practice ended everyone on the team except Galligan. She is taking a few more serve-receive reps while her teammates sing "I Want It That Way," by Backstreet Boys before huddling to say good-bye to the workout.
That scene wraps up a spirited session which featured coach
Chris Lamb joining drills as setter while Abba's "Dancing Queen," played. While it seems like a good day, Galligan wasn't happy with the way her practice ended. She asked assistant coach Brian Hosfield to send a few more serves her way.
"Serve-receive is a lifelong battle," she said. "At the end, I was struggling a little bit.
I like to end on a good note. Sometimes I'll carry into my day how practice went. I never want to end like that."
Those extra few minutes also symbolize the Shocker littles.
"Katie's mentality has really shaped the program," Maas said. "Even though she might be done with volleyball in the next two, three weeks, the grind isn't over. She's the hardest worker in the gym."
That, Shocker littles know, is how you earn your goggles.
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
Season tickets are on sale now, and season ticket renewals are available as well. To purchase, visit
GoShockers.com/Tickets, dial 316-978-FANS (3267) or stop by the Shocker Ticket Office, located inside Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
