2018 Shocker Volleyball Schedule Announced

[1972Shocker]

The Shockers have releasced the 2018 Volleyball Schedule:

http://goshockers.com/news/2018/6/17/wsu-announces-2018-volleyball-schedule.aspx

The non-conference schedule is as described by Lambo in his end of Spring training interview with Paul Suellentrop and it looks like a challenging one (last years records / RPI in parnthesis)::

Fri, 08/24 6;00 pm CT: @ James Madison (23-6 / 54)
Sun, 08/26 - 2:00 pm CT: @ Howard (16-16 / 224)
Mon, 08/27 - 4:00pm CT: @ VCU (30-3 / 35)

BYU Invitationa - Provo, UT:
Fri, 08/31 -4:00 pm CT: West Virginia (21-13 / 63)
Sat 09/01 - 11;00 AM CT : Stanford (30-4/5)
Sat 09/01 - 8:00 PM CT : BYU (30-3 /15)

Bluejay Invitational - Omaha, NE:
Sat, 09/08 - 4:00 PM CT: Iowas State (22-7 / 16)
Sun, 09/09 - 2:00 PM CT: Creighton: Creighton (26-7 / 14)

North Texas Challenge - Dention, TX:
Fri, 09/14 - 11:00 AM CT: Stephen F. Austin (26-8 / 105)
Fri, 09/14 - 6:00 PM CT: North Texas (29-4 / 51)
Sat, 09/15 - 1"00 PM CT: Cal Poly (27-3 / 22)

Final Home Match of the Regular Season:
Sat, 11/24 - TBA: North Texas (29-4 / 51)

The AAC schedule be reduced to 18 games in 2018 from 20 games in 2017.

Home and Home Matches: Tulsa, ECU, Cincinnati, UConn, Temple, Houston, and SMU
Single Home Maches: Tulane and Memphis
Single Road Matches: USF and UCF

All matches vs travel pairs will be on Fridays and Sundays. The matches with Tulsa, the Shocks' travel partners will be on Saturday, Sept 29th and on Wednesday, the day before Thansgiving. All times TBA.

[1972Shocker]

The Shockers start the season receiving votes in the AVCA preseason poll putting them at #29 which a bit of a surprise to me considering the talent and leadership we have to replace, primarily Emily, Abbie and Mikaela. That's a sign of a well-respected program.

The Shockers non-con schedule is well represented in the preseason poll as well including No. 1 Stanford and No. 8 BYU on Sept. 1, No. 21 Iowa State on Sept. 8, No. 13 Creighton on Sept. 9 and No. 24 Cal Poly on Sept. 15.

The Shocks started fall practice today.

https://goshockers.com/news/2018/8/8/volleyball-shockers-start-practice-and-receive-votes-in-the-top-25-poll.aspx

[WuDrWu]

That is a ton of respect, and the respect is certainly deserved for the last 14 seasons of being relevant if not nationally, regionally.

That being said, there's just no way this is a top 30 team this season, unless there are true freshmen ready to step in and not just help, but borderline star.

Counted on Putnicki to 6 rotation for us and that's gone, and that's a huge hole to fill, and by whom I have no idea. Just a lot of youth and not much fire power outside of Tabitha, and setter is going to be a transfer who wasn't playing at Louisville. Don't get me wrong, I'll be at every match and fully support this amazing program, but keeping the 20 match win streak going is kind of where I'm setting a goal at this point. It's going to be a grind at best.

Better than 8-4 in the non-con and multiple student athletes are surprisingly advanced from expectations. Heck, we could be 7-4 AND have multiple surprises.

Best case 14-4 in league? I suppose we could be better, but we might be 10-8 too. Just a lot of questions right now.

[1972Shocker]

I can't really take issue with any of those thoughts Doc. That non-con schedule will be tough, tough, tough for any team but especially tough for a team that will searching for answers to many questions.

If this team can match the 20-10 season that we had in 2014 when Emily, Abbie and Mikaela were freshmen I would quite pleased. Hopefully, we will see a lot of growth this year.

[1972Shocker]

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