WICHITA STATE (4-12, 1-3 American) vs. RICE (8-8, 2-2 American)
Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.
Houston, Texas | Tudor Fieldhouse
TV: ESPN+
 
WICHITA STATE at TULSA (12-3, 4-0 American)
Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026 | 1:00 p.m.
Tulsa, Okla. | Donald W. Reynolds Center
TV: ESPN+

SCENE SETTERS
The Shockers seeks their first true road win of the season as they travel to face Rice on Friday in Houston, Texas and Tulsa on Sunday in Tulsa, Okla.
Wichita State is coming off an 0-2 weekend, falling in four sets to Tulsa at home and Tulane on the road.
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 15.42, led by Gabi Maas with the fourth-most total digs in the conference (202).
The Shockers also lead the conference in attacks per set with 37.14, led by Jenna Cubbage with a team high 8.28 swings per set.
Maddie Wilson has been the Shockers' most efficient attacker, hitting .343 this season to rank fifth in the conference. In conference play, she is hitting .405 with 40 kills. Wilson also ranks eighth in the conference in blocks per set, averaging 1.02 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 2.78. Wilson (2.28), Jenna Cubbage (2.25), Olivia Cohee (2.07) and Janaya Weitkemper (2.05) give the Shockers a balanced attack.
The Shocker offense is orchestrated by setters Jordan Heatherly and Addie Oeth, who are averaging 5.70 and 4.35 assists per set, respectively.
 
STREAKS AND TRENDS
Heatherly has recorded three-straight double-doubles.
Jones has finished with double-digit kills in four of the last five outings.
Maas has led the Shockers in digs in the last eight-straight matches.
Weitkemper has recorded eight or more kills in the last four matches.
Wilson has hit above .500 four times this season.


LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State lost a four-set battle with Tulane Sunday afternoon in Devlin Fieldhouse. The Shockers fell 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23. Wichita State responded from a difficult opening set with its strongest offensive showing of the afternoon in the second. The Shockers hit .351 with 18 kills and controlled the set from the midway point, closing on a kill from Jenna Cubbage to even the match at one set apiece. Tulane regained the momentum in the third set, overcoming a Wichita State rally that erased a 11-5 deficit and gave the Shockers a 13-12 advantage. The Green Wave answered with a 5-1 run late in the set, closing out a 25-21 win. The fourth set featured another back-and-forth battle. Wichita State trailed 17-13 before rallying to tie the set. The Green Wave went up three again, and the Shockers pulled within one at 23-22 and again at 24-23, but Tulane finished the match with a kill from Chloe List. Four Shockers finished in double figures, led by Maddie Wilson with 14 kills, hitting .524. Jenna Cubbage, Olivia Cohee and McKenzie Jones all finished with 11 kills, Cubbage adding 12 digs for her second double-double of the season. Jordan Heatherly, and Gabi Maas also recorded double-doubles, Heatherly with 30 assists and 14 digs and Maas with 15 digs and 11 assists The Shockers finished with 61 kills on a .229 hitting percentage and recorded four service aces. Tulane was led by List's 19 kills and Lauryn Mack's 16. The Green Wave hit .307 as a team and held a 9-1 advantage in total team blocks.
 
SERIES VS. RICE
The teams meet for the 12^th time in program history with Rice leading the series, 8-3, including a 5-1 record since joining the American Conference. The Owls have won the last six-straight meetings, four of which went to five sets.

SCOUTING THE OWLS
Led by 23^rd-year head coach, Genny Volpe, Rice is 8-8 (2-2 American), coming off a 3-1 road win over Florida Atlantic. Sydnee Peterson ranks fourth in the conference in kills per set with 3.43. Rice was unanimously picked to win the conference in the American Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, while setter Kaia Mateo, outside hitter Aaliyah Smith and middle blocker Arissa Smithe were named the American Conference All-Conference Team.

SERIES VS. TULSA
The teams meet for the 63^rd time in program history with Wichita State leading the series, 44-18, including a 15-5 record since joining the American Conference. The Golden Hurricane have won the last three meetings, including a 3-1 win last Friday.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN HURRICANE
Led by fourth-year head coach, Lauren Ramatowski, Tulsa is 12-3 (4-0 American), coming off back-to-back road wins, defeating Wichita State 3-1 and sweeping UAB. The Golden Hurricane rank second in the American Conference in opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to .180 hitting. Tulsa leads the conference in aces per set with 1.76, recording 102 aces this season. Jill Hanson leads the conference in total blocks with 67, averaging 1.16 per set (third), and setter Brittany Bacorn ranks fourth in the American in total assists with 465, averaging 8.02 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.

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 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 150 kills, averaging 2.78 kills per set. Cubbage appeared in just eight matches in 2025, recording 30 kills during the whole season and has recorded the third-most kills on the team this season with 128. Cohee appeared in six matches in 2025 and recorded 16 kills and has already reached 118, 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 (549-273, .667), 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.