Classes start today at Wichita State, giving the volleyball team the day off after a week-plus of two-a-days. When practice resumes Friday, coach Chris Lamb wants to do some serious work on settling his unsettled lineups. Read More »
Third is exactly where the Shockers figured go in the MVC preseason volleyball coaches poll. How many teams losing five seniors would start the next season with those expectations?
Not many.
Middle Sarah McGee and setter Mary Elizabeth Hooper were named to the preseason All-MVC team. Defending champion Northern Iowa is your favorite.
The practice gym at Koch Arena is filled with busy players and gizmos, just like Wichita State volleyball coach Chris Lamb wants it. The Shockers, coming off another NCAA Tournament appearance, opened practice with two sessions on Monday. Lamb got his first look of the fall at his 20 players. Read More »
WSU announces its volleyball schedule. The Shockers open the season at Oklahoma on Aug. 27.
The Shockers play Saint Louis on Friday in Ames, Iowa. Here is Iowa State’s tournament page, with ticket information.
Wichita State is No. 32 in the NCAA’s first release of its RPI ranking. Northern Iowa is No. 41 and Missouri State No. 43. Creighton is No. 108. Three MVC teams rank in the top 50 and four (SIU is No. 87) are in the top 100. Eight of the 10 MVC schools are in the top 150.
A win over No. 59 North Carolina ranks as WSU’s best. Louisville, Oklahoma, Rice and South Carolina are all top 100 teams.
What does that mean as far as an NCAA Tournament resume? I can’t find RPI entering past tournaments, but I can locate final RPI for the past three seasons, which should give us a good idea of where teams were on selection day. WSU appears to be very much in the picture, should it need an at-large spot. The Shockers have a few chances for more good wins, and they can’t afford many more losses.
- In 2008, WSU finished with a No. 19 RPI and Northern Iowa with a No. 48 (after the season). Both received at-large bids. Three MVC teams ranked in the top 50.
- In 2007, WSU finished No. 38. Missouri State (No. 41) and Illinois State (No. 52) also received at-large bids. Five MVC teams finished the season ranked No. 56 or better.
- In 2006, MSU ended the season No. 41 after the tournament. WSU, which did not receive an at-large bid, finished the season ranked No. 52.
The men’s and women’s basketball signatures are in hand.
Rivals.com weighs in with the opinion that WSU point guard signee Kenny Manigault is the top recruit in the Valley. Read More »
Wichita State volleyball junior Melissa Granville is one of the MVC’s best back-row defenders and a person respected by the coaching staff for her volleyball smarts. I don’t know if coaching is in her future, but she seems like a natural. She knows what is going on all over the court at all times, which is probably one of the reasons she is so valuable to coach Chris Lamb.I enjoy talking to her because she explains volleyball in ways I can understand, which isn’t always easy. Read More »
Wichita State outside hitter Lindsey Eckenrode, a junior from The Woodlands, Texas, leads the team with 14 service aces and her average of 2.59 kills a set is second.
Q: You’re in the starting lineup and you have your mini-volleyball ready to throw during introductions – how do you decide where in the arena you are going to aim?
A: If I have family there, they’re first choice. After that, whoever I see that I know first, I try to throw it over there. It usually doesn’t make it.
Q: Guess the crowd for Friday’s match against Missouri State at Koch Arena.
A: I’m going to go with 4,500. Hopefully, it will be more.
Q: Which is the best match played by WSU this season?
A: That’s hard. Cal Poly (a 3-2 victory in August). We never gave up and we had to play hard through that entire thing.
Q: What’s the best thing about being ranked No. 16 in the nation?
A: It being school history, in the record books.
- WSU says about 500 advance tickets have been sold for Friday’s match against Missouri State. A large walk-up crowd is expected. The first 1,000 fans receive a free WSU volleyball T-shirt. WSU set a school record with a crowd of 6,122 against MSU last season.