WICHITA STATE (4-10, 1-1 American) vs. TULSA (10-3, 2-0 American)
Friday, Oct. 2, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. CT
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+
 
WICHITA STATE at TULANE (10-2, 2-0 American)
Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. CT
New Orleans, La. | Devlin Fieldhouse
TV: ESPN+

SCENE SETTERS
The Shockers continue American Conference play at home against Tulsa on Friday at 6 p.m. before heading to New Orleans, La. for their first conference road test against Tulane on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT in Devlin Fieldhouse.
Wichita State is coming off a 1-1 weekend at home, winning its conference opener, 3-1, against Memphis, and falling, 1-3, to South Florida.
The Shockers finished their non-conference schedule with a 3-9 record.
Wichita State is coming off a 19-11 season in 2025, including a 10-6 record in American Conference play. The Shockers beat No. 4 seed North Texas to advance to the semifinals of the American Conference Championship where they fell to No. 1 seed Rice in five sets to end the season.
Three of the Shockers' early losses have come to AVCA Top-25 teams, falling in three sets once to No. 23 Colorado and twice to No. 22 Kansas.
Wichita State leads the American Conference in digs per set, averaging 15.31, led by Gabi Maas with 3.53.
The Shockers also lead the conference in attacks per set with 36.90, led by Jenna Cubbage with a team high 8.39 swings per set.
Maddie Wilson has been the Shockers' most efficient attacker, hitting .336. She also ranks fourth in the conference in blocks per set, averaging 1.08 per set, including a career-high tying 10 in the win over Florida Gulf Coast.
McKenzie Jones is leading the Shockers in kills per set with 2.81 along with Jenna Cubbage, who is averaging 2.22 per set.
The Shocker offense is orchestrated by setters Jordan Heatherly and Addie Oeth, who are averaging 5.57 and 4.47 assists per set, respectively, through the first 14 matches.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State split the American Conference opening weekend with a win over Memphis and a loss to South Florida, both in Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers picked up a 3-1 victory over the Tigers on Friday, taking the match, 25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21. Wichita State used a balanced offensive attack to earn the win, finishing the night with 54 kills on a .240 hitting percentage. The Shockers also recorded eight team blocks and held Memphis to a .170 hitting percentage. McKenzie Jones led the way offensively with 13 kills on .276 hitting, while Olivia Cohee added 11 kills and Janaya Weitkemper (.444) and Jenna Cubbage each finished with nine kills. The match saw 22 ties and nine lead changes, but the Shockers prevailed to start conference play with a win. 
 
On Sunday, the Shockers fell, 21-25, 25-18, 24-26, 23-25 to South Florida. South Florida's pins accounted for 38 of their 63 kills as Addy Brus recorded a match-high 20 kills, and Paula Tomasa logged 18 for the Bulls. Maddie Wilson led the Shockers with 12 kills on 21 swings, hitting.476, and McKenzie Jones and Janaya Weitkemper added 12 and 10 kills, respectively, a career high for Weitkemper. Shocker setters Addie Oeth and Jordan Heatherly directed the Wichita State offense with 22 assists each, while Gabi Maas led the defensive effort with 23 digs, and Heatherly's 11 digs gave her her third double-double of the season. Wichita State finished with 50 kills, 47 assists and 78 digs, while recording 12.0 team blocks. South Florida totaled 63 kills, 62 assists, 79 digs and nine blocks.
 
SERIES VS. TULSA
The teams meet for the 62^nd time in program history with Wichita State leading the series, 44-17, including a 15-4 record since joining the American Conference. The Golden Hurricane won the last two meetings a season ago, breaking the Shockers' 13-match win streak over Tulsa. Wichita State has only fallen in three of 27 meetings in Charles Koch Arena between the two programs.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN HURRICANE
Led by fourth-year head coach, Lauren Ramatowski, Tulsa is 10-3 (2-0 American), coming off back-to-back home wins on American Conference opening weekend, sweeping South Florida before defeating Memphis, 3-1. The Golden Hurricane rank third in the American Conference in opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to .185 hitting. Jill Hanson leads the conference in total blocks with 60, averaging 1.18 per set (third), and setter Brittany Bacorn ranks fourth in the American in total assists with 420, averaging 8.24 per set (seventh). Tulsa was picked second in the American Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving one first-place vote, while Hanson was named the American Conference Preseason Player of the Year, and Olivia Vance was tabbed preseason all-conference.

SERIES VS. TULANE
The teams meet for the 16^th time in program history with the Shockers leading the series 9-6, most recently claiming a 3-1 victory a season ago in Wichita. The Shockers have won the last five-straight over the Green Wave and hold a 5-3 record in New Orleans. Tulane's last win over the Shockers was a five-set victory in New Orleans in 2022.
 
SCOUTING THE GREEN WAVE
Led by 18^th-year head coach (first at Tulane), Dex Schroeder, the Green Wave is 10-2 (2-0 American). Tulane is on a six-match win streak, opening conference play with a five-set road win over UTSA and a road sweep over North Texas. Tulane leads the American Conference in three categories, aces per set with 1.81, hitting percentage with .287 and kills per set with 13.79. Their .287 hitting percentage ranks 14^th in the nation. Setter Charlee Solomon leads the conference in assists per set with 10.21 and has recorded one triple-double. Tulane was picked 12^th in the American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, and Avery Burks was named to the preseason all-conference team.

BATTLE-TESTED FROM DAY ONE
Wichita State's non-conference schedule was ranked the 28^th-toughest in the NCAA by supervolley.org, featuring six 2025 NCAA Tournament teams: Stephen F. Austin, Colorado, Northern Colorado, Kansas (x2), Arkansas State and Northern Iowa (x2). The Shockers concluded their non-conference slate with a 3-9 record, picking up wins over Southland Conference preseason favorite Stephen F. Austin, Missouri State and ASUN preseason favorite Florida Gulf Coast.
 
RELYING ON YOUNG HITTERS
Between Sydney Dunning (injury), Brooklyn Leggett (graduation) and Emerson Wilford (graduation), the Shockers lost 64.5 percent of their kills from 2025. The trio accounted for 1,011 of Wichita State's 1,567 kills last season, making Maddie Wilson the team's returning kills leader with 202 in 2025. While the Shockers bring back a veteran back row, as well as preseason all-conference setter Jordan Heatherly, they look to a group of young hitters to help carry the offense.
 
Sophomores McKenzie Jones, Jenna Cubbage and Olivia Cohee have stepped into prominent roles early. Jones, who appeared in 16 matches and recorded 67 total kills in 2025, leads the Shockers with 132 kills, averaging 2.81 kills per set. Cubbage appeared in just eight matches in 2025, recording 30 kills during the whole season and has recorded the second-most kills on the team this season with 109. Cohee appeared in six matches in 2025 and recorded 16 kills and has already reached 103, good for No. 4 on the team.
 
1K CLUB
Fifth year DS/L, Gabi Maas, joined the 1,000 career digs club earlier this season against Missouri and has led the Shockers in digs nine times this season, including a season-high 23 against South Florida.
 
SHOCKER VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC
The Shockers won two of their first three matches on opening weekend, sweeping Southland Conference reigning champion and preseason favorite, Stephen F. Austin, and Missouri State and falling to Idaho State in four sets. McKenzie Jones and Maddie Wilson were named to the Shocker Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team, combining for 60 kills.
 
HEATHERLY NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Wichita State senior setter, Jordan Heatherly snagged a spot on the preseason all-conference team after finishing third in the conference in total assists with 1,020 and fourth in assists per set with 8.95 last season. The Western Springs, Ill. native started all 30 matches for the Shockers in 2025, appearing in all 114 sets, and recorded 33 service aces, good for second on the team. In the American Conference semifinal against Rice, Heatherly recorded a season-high 57 assists and 15 digs.
The Shockers were picked fourth in the American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, while reigning regular season champion, Rice, was unanimously picked to win the conference.
 
THE COACH
Head coach Chris Lamb, WSU's all-time wins leader (549-271, .670), is in his 27^th season on the sideline. Lamb's 549 wins rank 19^th among active NCAA Division I coaches and first in the American Conference.
The 2017 national coach of the year, affectionately known as "Lambo", has guided the Shockers to 12 NCAA tournaments, highlighted by a run to the 2012 Sweet 16.
WSU has captured seven conference regular-season titles under Lamb's watch, most recently in 2017 when the Shockers finished conference play with a perfect 20-0 mark.
In 2023, Lamb led Wichita State to its first national postseason championship with a dominant run to the NIVC title.
Lamb recently guided the Shockers to a complete sweep of the 2024 American Conference Championship.