Wichita State Athletics

WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion Friday night, sweeping Stephen F. Austin, 25-16, 25-23, 26-24, in Charles Koch Arena.
 
"This game was won by offensive firepower and better team defense," head coach Chris Lamb said.
 
The Shockers hit .204 as a team and held SFA to a .096 hitting percentage while collecting eight team blocks. Wichita State also finished with a 40-34 advantage in kills and recorded 48 digs to SFA's 36.

Sophomore Olivia Cohee led the Shockers with 10 kills on 22 attacks, hitting .227, and added 10 digs for a double-double performance. Sophomore Jenna Cubbage added 10 kills and hit .172, while sophomore McKenzie Jones contributed eight kills, and senior Elinor Engel finished with seven kills on 16 swings while hitting a team-best .375.
 
Jordan Heatherly directed the Wichita State offense with 23 assists, helping the Shockers hit above .200 in each of the final two sets. Wichita State hit .172 in the opener before improving to .219 in the second set and .214 in the third.
 
Wichita State jumped out to an early advantage in the opening set, using a pair of service aces from Heatherly to build an early 3-0 lead. SFA kept it close through to 8-6, but the Shockers answered with a 6-1 run to take a 14-7 advantage. Wichita State maintained control from there, closing the set with a Maddie Wilson and Cohee block for a 25-16 win.
 
The second set featured a tighter battle with two lead changes and nine tie scores. The teams traded blows with neither team gaining more than a two-point advantage until the Shockers went up 23-20. The Lumberjacks hung around, fighting off one set point before the Shockers sealed the set two win, 25-23.
 
After the Shockers took a 23-18 lead in the third set, SFA rallied from behind and went on a 6-1 run to tie it up at 24-all. Clutch back-to-back kills from Cubbage secured the sweep for the Shockers as they took the third set 26-24.
 
Wichita State started its season 1-0 for the 27^th time in program history and 18^th time under Chris Lamb, while SFA fell to 0-2.
 
The Shockers return to the court Saturday, Aug. 29 for their second match of the Shocker Volleyball Classic as they face Idaho State (1-1) at 6 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.