Wichita State Shockers: Volleyball team is on the rise
By Eric Hogan
Wichita State Shockers volleyball is on the rise as #21 ranked Wichita State remains unbeaten in the American Athletic Conference
Wichita State Shockers Volleyball is now in sole possession of first place in the AAC at 8-0 in conference play (16-3 overall). The Shockers delivered a weekend home sweep in dominating fashion dropping just one set to SMU on Friday Night. This match happened in front of 3,687 fans, according to GoShockers.com.
The Shockers improved upon that performance on Sunday, defeating Tulsa in three straight sets in front of 2,265 Shocker Faithful. Wichita State Volleyball also ranks among the top ten nationally in home attendance, according to Wichita.edu.
The LADY SHOX earned Head Coach Chris Lamb his 400th career win on Sunday as they go for their 14th consecutive 20 win season. Wichita State is also on track to reach their 10th NCAA Tournament Appearance in 11 years and eleventh national appearance overall.
Recent game recaps
SMU
In the first set, Wichita State jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead and carried that momentum to 14-8. SMU bounced back quickly and began to chip away at the lead. The teams traded points until the Lady Mustangs scored 7 of the final 10 points to take the first set 25-23.
The second set was equally competitive, but the Shox were able to turn the tables near the end of the set. The Shockers went on a 7-1 run to finish the second set strong and tie the match at 1-1. The end result was a final score of 25-18.
From there it was all Wichita State. The Shockers won the third and fourth sets 25-12 each and never looked back. The Shockers offense was led by 3 time All-American Abbie Lehman. She hit a blistering .576 with 20 kills on just 33 attempts while committing only one hitting error, this according to GoShockers.com.
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Emily Hiebert did an excellent job of keeping SMU off-balance. All match she distributed the ball well with 44 assists and adding 5 kills of her own. Giorgio Civita was a bright spot on defense, offering solid passing while compiling 29 digs throughout the match.
Wichita State’s solid performance in the Tulsa match was over-shadowed by Chris Lamb’s 400th win as the Shocker Head Coach. The Shockers edged out Tulsa 26-24 in the opening set. They cruised on to victory winning the second and third sets 25-11 and 25-12, respectively.
The AAC vs the MVC
The series sweep brings to light the question of where the AAC stands in the national spotlight. At least when it comes to women’s volleyball. Judging by the eye test alone, I would have to say that the frontrunners to win the conference are no where near the level of the Missouri Valley.
On Friday night I watched as SMU hit an abysmal .054 as a team with 33 hitting errors according to the box score on GoShockers.com. Compare that to the Shockers hitting a solid .275. All the while recording only 15 errors on 149 total attempts.
They distributed the ball all around, getting six different Shocker hitters involved in the attack. Statistically speaking, there is zilch on the box score to see where SMU was even competitive. Let alone leading a category.
It was more of the same versus Tulsa. Led again by All-American Abbie Lehman who maintained a .600 hitting percentage on 10 kills. Dominance across the board was the story of the weekend.
Shocker Volleyball History
In years past, Shocker Volleyball struggled to compete in the Missouri Valley. They won their first conference title in 2004, and have been a force to be reckoned with ever since. The SHOX have earned six MVC titles during those 13 seasons, and also winning four MVC tournaments. That paved the way for ten NCAA Tournament appearances.
Chris Lamb began his stint as Shocker Head Volleyball Coach in 2000. The four-time MVC Coach of the Year has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen just once. This stat reflects on the poor seedings the Shockers have received over the years.
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The big question remains: will new conference affiliation help or hurt the Shockers seeding this year in the NCAA tournament? Currently WSU is the only AAC in the top 50 of RPI. The MVC boasts two teams in the top 50 even without perennial powerhouses Creighton and Wichita State.
Wichita State must crack the top 15 this year, especially if they are to get a higher seed in the tournament and have a better chance to make a deep run. In volleyball the NCAA tournament works differently – only 16 teams earn a seed. This means any non-seeded team could end up playing a top team right out of the gate.
Over the years Wichita State has been knocked out of the tournament by eventual National Champion Nebraska, as well as rivals Kansas & Kansas State among other power conference schools. If the Shockers can keep winning and separate themselves as an elite team in the AAC, they just might be able to earn a much sought after top 16 seed.
In closing
The path to the finish line is riddled with questions and “what ifs.” The best chance for the Lady SHOX to make a deep run in the NCAA tourney is to take care of business in conference. Then they need to win their conference tournament in dominating fashion.
If WSU continues to focus on what only they can control, they should be rewarded with a seed and have a great chance to reach their second sweet sixteen, and maybe even a chance at the elite eight or even the final four.
Personally, I’m looking forward to how it all plays out!