Volleyball | 9/4/2026 9:36:00 AM
By
Paul Suellentrop
McKenzie Jones considers herself a patient person, which was important to Wichita State volleyball coach
Chris Lamb.
Patient, however, does not mean slow progress in Jones' case. If the first weekend of her sophomore season is an indication, she on the fast track. Lamb compares her to former Shocker star Morgan Stout, another bouncy athlete who needed time to develop skills.
"The moment I put my eyes on (Jones), I knew I wanted her here," Lamb said. "I knew it was going to take time, and can they be as patient as I'm willing to be? Morgan Stout was here a few years ago and I worried so much that she would hate herself trying to meet these little expectations. We said, 'Morgan, you've got to be patient.' Well, McKenzie's two years ahead of schedule compared to Morgan."
Jones, a 5-foot-10 right-side hitter from Duncanville, Texas, came to WSU with a realistic view of her role as a freshman.
"Before I got here, my hand contact was a little iffy," she said. "I'm more of an athletic player who can develop skills."
The Shockers (2-1) play No. 23 Colorado (3-0) at 7 p.m., Friday and Northern Colorado (0-2) at 2 p.m., Saturday in the Buffs Invitational in Boulder. Both matches are on ESPN+.
Jones
Jones showed that progress last weekend in the Shocker Volleyball Classic. She totaled a career-high 14 kills and hit .375 in a loss to Idaho State and 11 kills with a .400 attack percentage and one error in a sweep of Missouri State.
After playing in 16 matches as a freshman, Jones worked on hand contact and building her confidence. The Shockers need her scoring, and she put in the work to earn that spot.
"I had a meeting at the end of (2025) with coaches and they told me I needed to have more confidence in myself, believing I can be a great player," she said. "Throughout the summer and into preseason I was able to feel myself getting more confident – I am here and I earned the right to play here and be a Shocker."
Setter
Jordan Heatherly sees that improved confidence and experience in Jones' approaches and swings. She also hears Jones speak up more often on the court.
"It's her wanting to get set and her wanting the ball in hard situations, a tight game," Heatherly said. "She is very confident that in herself that she can be the one who can move the scoreboard. I don't think she gets scared. She wants to go for it."
Jones improved her hand contact since a freshman season in which she played in 16 matches. The one error against Missouri State may be the single most significant stat for Jones. She owns a powerful swing and is working on hand contact that keeps the ball in play and challenges the defense with pace and diving action.
"In the spring, I worked a lot on spinning the ball," she said. "I had a problem making the ball spin and go deep and I erred often. It's paid off. I'm able to spin a lot of balls."
Lamb talks often about pushing his players to perform in the top third of the American Conference at their position. Heatherly sees that potential for Jones.
"Her being able to manipulate the ball with her thumb and her fingers has been a drastic improvement," Heatherly said. "It's cool to see her mechanics grow. She is able to go high over the ball and then finish with her fingers on top of the ball."
Patience still matters as Jones and the Shockers face a tough schedule with an inexperienced group of attackers. Last weekend shows that patience can doesn't have to come at the expense of progress.
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
Season tickets are on sale now, and season ticket renewals are available as well. To purchase, visit
GoShockers.com/Tickets, dial 316-978-FANS (3267) or stop by the Shocker Ticket Office, located inside Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
