Volleyball | 8/29/2025 6:57:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop

The 

last time Wichita State played volleyball in Koch Arena, the Shockers celebrated with confetti, championship hats and a championship trophy. They swept three matches in the American Conference Championship to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
 
On Friday, the Shockers open the season back in Koch Arena with expectations to continue their recent run of post-season play. In 2022, they played in the National Invitation Volleyball Championship. They won the title in 2023. In 2024, Wichita State returned to NCAA play for the first time since 2017.
 
Wichita State, 18-14, 10-6 in the American last season, plays Kennesaw State in the Shocker Volleyball Classic at 7 p.m., Friday. WSU plays Arkansas at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
 
Kennesaw State is picked fourth in Conference USA. Arkansas is 11^th in the SEC preseason poll after going 16-12 last season.

Five items to watch this season:

Shockers start with solid defense

Wichita State's back-row defenders are talented and experienced, and they showed how much they can influence a match late last fall.
 
Libero Katie Galligan is back after grabbing the jersey late in 2024. Gabi Mass played libero in 2023 before a knee injury sidelined her last fall. Grace Hett's playing time increased throughout her freshman season and she recorded five or more digs in the season's final six matches.
 
"Our team is extremely competitive," Galligan said. "We always have a lot of energy."
 
WSU's defense carried the Shockers in the conference tournament with Galligan and Hett playing major roles. Wichita State leaned heavily on its defense during the tournament. It held Tulsa, top-seeded USF and FAU to a .115 attack percentage, highlighted by USF's season-low .112 in the semifinals.
 
 

9 months ago today, @GoShockersVB won the @American_Conf tournament and stamped their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

On Friday, we'll drop a banner at their 2025 home-opening match 🏆🙌

🎟️ https://t.co/NB13Umpq13 pic.twitter.com/gxv4McSnsu

— Go Shockers (@GoShockers) August 24, 2025

 
 

Expect scoring on the pins

WSU's offense should start with senior attackers Brooklyn Leggett, Emerson Wilford and newcomer Sydney Dunning.

 
Leggett, a preseason all-conference pick, ranked second on the team with 2.67 kills a set in conference play. She excelled with 13 kills and a .360 attack percentage in the tournament championship match.
 
"I expect her to carry a heavy, heavy load," assistant coach Ashleigh Houlton said. "She wants a lot of attempts. She wants the opportunity to put the ball down in very big moments."
 
Wilford has increased her kills (from 46 to 193 to 252) and digs (14 to 105 to 213) each season as an outside hitter. Dunning, a junior transfer from Cal State Bakersfield, earned honorable mention All-Big West honors last season after totaling 515 kills. She joined the Shockers for spring practices.
 
"She can run a lot of different sets, so I think our fans will enjoy watching some different plays," assistant coach Katie Zimmerman said. "I just love the way she's competitive. After she gets a kill, she stares at her setter, points at them. You know that she is in it, ready to go to the next point."
 

Coaches look at options to set

Coach Chris Lamb, entering his 26^th season, loves his depth at setter with redshirt freshman Sarah Musial, a returner, and newcomers Hannah Hawkins and Jordan Heatherly. While he's had two strong setters in previous seasons, this is the best group of three.
 
Expect experimenting with one- and two-setter systems early in the season.
 
That trio will compete to replace Izzi Strand, who earned All-American Conference honors and honorable mention All-Region North honors in her two seasons at WSU.
 
Hawkins, a transfer from High Point, practiced in the spring. Heatherly, a transfer from Memphis, came to WSU in the summer. While the Tigers went 23-36 in her two seasons, Heatherly's numbers put her among the conference's top setters.
 
"She was one of the problems in the conference last year," Lamb said. "She's not somebody you have to start with scratch with."
 

Shockers face another tough schedule

Lamb always wants to give his teams a chance to boost power rankings and compete for an NCAA at-large spot. This season, the non-conference schedule is highlighted by No. 14 Kansas and No. 19 BYU. Arkansas and conference opponent Rice both received votes in the AVCA preseason poll.
 
Building a power rating is more than playing high-profile opponents. Lamb is diligent in finding teams with the potential to win big.
 
For example, three opponents are picked second in their conferences – Northern Colorado (Big Sky), South Dakota (Summit League) and Samford (Southern Conference). Tennessee Tech is picked third in the Ohio Valley Conference and Drake third in the Missouri Valley Conference.
 

The big absence in the middle

Middle Morgan Stout carried the Shockers offense last season on her way to all-conference and all-region honors. She is now playing professionally.
 
Lamb will look at many options to give Wichita State its traditional scoring in the middle.
 
Junior Maddie Wilson's 121 kills ranked sixth on the team. She contributed to the conference title with nine kills and a .375 attack percentage in a win over top-seeded USF. Sophomore Allie Paulsen had six kills and four block assists against Kansas. Junior transfer Elinor Engel, from NCAA Division II Central Missouri, and freshmen Janaya Weitkemper and Ashlynn Hollis are also in the mix.
 
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.