WICHITA STATE (5-15, 2-6 American) at EAST CAROLINA (14-6, 7-1 American)
Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. CT
Greenville, N.C. | Minges Coliseum
TV: ESPN+
 
WICHITA STATE at CHARLOTTE (4-15, 1-7 American)
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 | Noon CT
Charlotte, N.C. | Halton Arena
TV: ESPN+

SCENE SETTERS
The Shockers hit the road to take on East Carolina on Friday and Charlotte on Sunday.
Wichita State is coming off a 1-1 weekend at home, defeating UTSA in five sets before falling to Rice in four.
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 15.32, led by Gabi Maas, who leads the conference in total digs with 272.
The Shockers also lead the conference in attacks per set with 37.03.
Maddie Wilson has been the Shockers' most efficient attacker, hitting .360 this season to rank second in the conference. In conference play, she is hitting .407 with 87 kills. Wilson also ranks fifth in the conference in blocks per set, averaging 1.04 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 2.87, ranking 11^th in the conference. Wilson (2.39), Janaya Weitkemper (2.29), Olivia Cohee (2.03) and Jenna Cubbage (2.00) give the Shockers a balanced attack.
The Shocker offense is orchestrated by setters Jordan Heatherly and Addie Oeth, who are averaging 5.73 and 4.22 assists per set, respectively.
 
STREAKS AND TRENDS
Jones has finished with double-digit kills in seven of the last eight outings, including the last five straight.
Wilson has hit above .500 four times this season and over .400 seven times.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State fell to Rice in four sets Sunday at Charles Koch Arena, 25-18, 17-25, 25-11, 25-17. The Shockers responded in the second set to even the match at one set apiece, but Rice took the final two sets to secure the victory. McKenzie Jones led the Shockers with 10 kills, her fifth-straight match in double figures, while Olivia Cohee added nine kills and 11 digs. Maddie Wilson contributed eight kills and a team-high four block assists, and Danielle Moore and Janaya Weitkemper added eight and seven kills, respectively. Jordan Heatherly paced the offense with 23 assists, and Gabi Maas finished with a match-high 17 digs.

SERIES VS. EAST CAROLINA
The teams meet for the 13^th time in program history with Wichita State leading the series, 11-1, including a 5-0 record since joining the American Conference and a 6-1 record at ECU. The Pirates' lone win over the Shockers occurred two seasons again when they earned a five-set win in Greenville.
 
SERIES VS. CHARLOTTE
The teams meet for just the fifth time in program history with Wichita State leading the series, 3-1, including a 1-1 record since joining the American Conference and a 1-0 record in Charlotte. The 49ers' one win over Wichita State happened a season ago in Wichita in four sets.

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 PINS
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, Olivia Cohee, and Janaya Weitkemper have stepped into prominent roles. Jones, who appeared in 16 matches and recorded 67 total kills in 2025, now leads the Shockers. Cubbage appeared in just eight matches in 2025, recording 30 kills during the whole season, Cohee appeared in six matches in 2025 and recorded 16 kills, and Weitkemper appeared in six matches, recording 12 kills in 2025.
 
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 12 times this season, including a season-high 25 at Tulsa.
 
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 (550-276, .666), 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.