WICHITA STATE (3-9, 0-0 American) vs. MEMPHIS (5-6, 0-0 American)
Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+
 
WICHITA STATE vs. SOUTH FLORIDA (1-9, 0-0 American)
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 | 1:00 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+

SCENE SETTERS
The Shockers are set to open American Conference play at home against Memphis on Friday at 6 p.m. before facing South Florida on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.
Wichita State is coming off an 0-2 weekend at Northern Iowa, falling 0-3 on Friday and 1-3 on Saturday.
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.
The Shockers lead the series with Memphis 14-4 and the series with South Florida 11-1.
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 ranks second in the American Conference in digs per set, averaging 14.76, led by Gabi Maas with 3.29.
Allie Paulsen and Maddie Wilson have been the Shockers' most efficient attackers, hitting .322 and .318, respectively. Wilson ranks seventh in the conference in blocks with 42, 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 2.74 along with Jenna Cubbage, who is averaging 2.29 per set.
The Shocker offense is orchestrated by setters Jordan Heatherly and Addie Oeth, who are averaging 5.66 and 4.32 assists per set, respectively, through the first 12 matches.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State volleyball fell in four sets to Northern Iowa, 16-25, 28-26, 22-25, 14-25, to conclude its non-conference schedule Saturday afternoon in the McLeod Center. Four Shockers finished in double figures, led by Jenna Cubbage with 13 kills, Olivia Cohee and McKenzie Jones with 12 apiece and Maddie Wilson with 10. Gabi Maas recorded a season-high 18 digs, and freshman Addie Oeth led the team with 24 assists.
 
SERIES VS. MEMPHIS
The teams meet for the 19^th time in program history with Wichita State leading the series, 14-4, most recently earning a sweep over the Tigers, 30-28, 25-17, 25-16, last October in Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers have won the last nine against Memphis, the last Tiger win occurring in Wichita in 2020.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Led by seventh-year head coach (second at Memphis), Cheri Lindsay Jones, Memphis is 5-6 (0-0 American), coming of a three-match win streak, including a 3-1 win over Ole Miss and sweeps of Southern Mississippi and Little Rock. The Tigers rank second in the American Conference in service aces with a total of 76, averaging 1.85 per set. Two Tigers are averaging three or more kills per set, led by Caitlyn Little with 4.07 per set and Amanda Hardt with 3.04. Little leads the conference in kills per set and points per set (4.77) and ranks second in aces per set with 0.44. Setter Sydney Marshall ranks third in the conference in assists per set with 8.85, while the Tigers' digs leader, Abigail Schlueter, ranks fourth in the conference in total digs with 146, averaging 3.56 per set. Memphis was picked 10^th in the American Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, and Hardt was named to the preseason all-conference team.

SERIES VS. SOUTH FLORIDA
The teams meet for the 13^th time in program history with the Shockers leading the series 11-1, most recently sweeping the Bulls, 25-21, 25-1, 25-19, last November in Tampa. South Florida's only win over Wichita State came in 2024 when it won, 3-1 in Wichita.


SCOUTING THE BULLS
Led by 16^th-year head coach (seventh at USF) Jolene Shepardson, the Bulls are 1-9 after playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation, picking up a win over Utah State on Aug. 30. South Florida leads the American Conference in blocks per set with 2.62, led by Amelia Wass de Czege with a conference-leading 1.38 per set. Paula Tomasa and Iyanna Garvin are also averaging 1.03 and 0.97 per set, respectively, and Tomasa ranks third in the conference in kills per set with 3.68. The Bulls were picked third in the American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, and Laila Ivey 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 107 kills, averaging 2.74 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 94. Cohee appeared in six matches in 2025 and recorded 16 kills and has already reached 86.
 
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 (548-270, .670), is in his 27^th season on the sideline. Lamb's 548 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.