Tweet
5 years ago Chris Lamb recruited a talented, smart, pretty blonde setter from Newton High School to be his setter of the future after serving a redshirt year apprenticing behind talented Shocker Sr. setter Chelsey Feekin. Emily lettered 4 years at Newton High School 20 miles north of Wichita in both basketball and volleyball and was 1st Team Class 5A All-State in Volleyball in her junior and senior years. Emily certainly has lived up to the expectations Lambo had for her when he recruited her. Today against SMU Emily passed the estimable Mary Elizabeth Hooper as the career assists leader at Wichita State. When Lambo was asked about this before the SMU match he basically said he didn't really need stats to tell him what Emily has meant to the Shockers and when this is all over he would have some things to say about Emily's career and her value as a Shocker.
During the process of recruiting Emily he noticed another Newton High School player. A tall, skinny middle blocker who actually was the Kansas Sports.com 5A Basketball player of the year her senior season at Newton. In the summer of 2012 Lambo and his assistants listed 60 middle blockers to recruit. Abbie Lehman's name was not on the list. Abbie was a better basketball player in high school than a volleyball player. A post player who could really run the floor. Her likely next stop was to play basketball at Pitt State. However, after a summer volleyball camp Abbie attended at Wichita State Lambo had her listed as number 3 on his list. He had previously thought she wasn't powerful enough to play the MB position at the D-1 level. After that camp she changed his mind and he sold her on playing volleyball close to home at a good D-1 program. So Abbie changed her plans and joined her teammate Emily for a redshirt year at Wichita State in her case apprenticing behind Ashley Andrade and Elizabeth Field. Today against SMU Abbie became the career leader in total blocks at Wichita State and has been one of the most efficient and effective Shocker offensive players in school history.
Both Emily and Abbie were and are excellent students.
So we roll the clock forward 5 years and see that the two 5th year seniors from Newton High School have not only led the Shocker Volleyball team to great success in their playing careers but they have led the Shocks to an AAC Championship in the Shocker's inaugural season in the AAC at 18-0 with two games remaining and put the Shocks in a great position to complete an undefeated conference season with two wins over last place Memphis.
I can not conceive of the AAC Volleyball Player of the Year award going to anyone other than Emily or Abbie. So which should it be. Personally what I would love to see is for Emily and Abbie to share this award as Co-Players of the Year in the AAC. My guess is that probably won't happen and my guess is it will go to Emily. After all the setter is the quarterback and Emily has pretty much been on the floor for every point Wichita State has played this season whereas Abbie does rotate in and out of the lineup as she moves to he back row then back into the front row.
The thing with Emily and Abbie is that each of them makes the other a better player. Emily is better for having Abbie at her side and Abbie is better for having Emily at her side. They simply click as a pair as well as any two players who have played at Wichita State. Perhaps the best ever in that regard.
As I have said before -- Thank you Newton!
During the process of recruiting Emily he noticed another Newton High School player. A tall, skinny middle blocker who actually was the Kansas Sports.com 5A Basketball player of the year her senior season at Newton. In the summer of 2012 Lambo and his assistants listed 60 middle blockers to recruit. Abbie Lehman's name was not on the list. Abbie was a better basketball player in high school than a volleyball player. A post player who could really run the floor. Her likely next stop was to play basketball at Pitt State. However, after a summer volleyball camp Abbie attended at Wichita State Lambo had her listed as number 3 on his list. He had previously thought she wasn't powerful enough to play the MB position at the D-1 level. After that camp she changed his mind and he sold her on playing volleyball close to home at a good D-1 program. So Abbie changed her plans and joined her teammate Emily for a redshirt year at Wichita State in her case apprenticing behind Ashley Andrade and Elizabeth Field. Today against SMU Abbie became the career leader in total blocks at Wichita State and has been one of the most efficient and effective Shocker offensive players in school history.
Both Emily and Abbie were and are excellent students.
So we roll the clock forward 5 years and see that the two 5th year seniors from Newton High School have not only led the Shocker Volleyball team to great success in their playing careers but they have led the Shocks to an AAC Championship in the Shocker's inaugural season in the AAC at 18-0 with two games remaining and put the Shocks in a great position to complete an undefeated conference season with two wins over last place Memphis.
I can not conceive of the AAC Volleyball Player of the Year award going to anyone other than Emily or Abbie. So which should it be. Personally what I would love to see is for Emily and Abbie to share this award as Co-Players of the Year in the AAC. My guess is that probably won't happen and my guess is it will go to Emily. After all the setter is the quarterback and Emily has pretty much been on the floor for every point Wichita State has played this season whereas Abbie does rotate in and out of the lineup as she moves to he back row then back into the front row.
The thing with Emily and Abbie is that each of them makes the other a better player. Emily is better for having Abbie at her side and Abbie is better for having Emily at her side. They simply click as a pair as well as any two players who have played at Wichita State. Perhaps the best ever in that regard.
As I have said before -- Thank you Newton!
Comment