Shocker Volleyball Classic

[1972Shocker]

A Classic is something that is judged to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind. Many, probably most, collegiate atheltic events that are named Classic probably do not truly measure up. That is not the case this year with the Shocker Volleyball Classic. This weekend's event will be the highest level of college volleyball ever held in Wichita.

Lambo indicated on his radio show Monday that he expects Shocker fans to show up en masse. I think he will be quite disappointed if the Shocks don't have 5,000 in the building for the matches with #3 ranked Texas and #13 ranked BYU (a final 4 team in 2018) in addition to defending A-10 regular season champion VCU.

While there is a good chance our young Shockers could go 0-3 in this tournament this will be a great opportunity to see some Olympic team quality players live. One of Lambo's friends told him that Texas may have the most physical women's college volleyball team ever.

First up is BYU at 7:00 pm on Thursday. BYU will come to Wichita Thursday at 5-1 as they swept LIU-Brooklyn 13, 21 and 17, beat Sam Houston Stare in 4sets (24), 13, 16 and 18 and swept Weber State 22, 16 and 22. Byu's one loss was last weekend to #7 Marquette in 4 sets 22, (16), (22) and (12).

BYU is no doubt very good but they don't seem to be quite as strong as they were last year. BYU graduated 5 seniors from last year's team most notably 6-0 OH Roni Jones-Perry who averaged 4.82 kills per set last year. Jones-Perry had 1,088 kils last year. The Shockers top 4 players in kills last year had a combined 1,093 kills. Also BYU graduated their 5-10 setter, Lyndie Haddack-Eppich, who ran the BYU 5-1 offense. She has been replaced by highly touted 5-9 Fr. Whitney Bower.

BYU still has more experience than the Shocks and they are big in the middle at 6-4 and 6-5. All-in-all they do appear more vulnerable this year than they were last year. Just not sure the Shoks have progressed to the point they can pult the upset against BYU but the Shocks should be capable of giving them a competitive match. And who knows what might happen in a close match with a few good bounces.

BYU takes on Texas at 4:30 pm Friday. At 7:00 pm the Shocks take on VCU. VCU currently sits at 5-3 with wins over Lehigh (3-0), High Point (3-0), North Carolina State (3-0), Alabama (3-2) and Virginia Tech (3-1) Losses have been to Texas Tech (0-3), Ohio State (1-3) and UC Santa Barbara (2-3). This is probably the Shocks best, and perhaps only realstic, chance at a win this weekend but it will not be easy at all. I would think at best the VCU match is a 50-50 proposition. Maybe a big, energetic Shocker crowd can push the Shocker over the top in this one.

VCU and BYU play on Saturday at noon. At 7:00 pm the Shocks take on the big, bad Texas Longhorns. Very hard to envision a Shocker win in this match but it will be interesting to see if the young Shockers have made any progress since getting dominated by Penn State on the opening weekend of the season. #3 Texas is 3-1 with wins over #35 UNI (3-1), #15 Southern Cal (3-1) and #8 Minnesota (3-0) and are coming off a 5-set loss Sunday at #1 ranked and defending National Champion Standford.

Hope the Shocker fans can make Lambo happy. Big kudos for Lambo for working hard to put this kind of field together.

Shocker Match Notes and Media Links

[1972Shocker]

RH: Freshmen Take on Big Roles for Shockers

Nice article on Nicle and Sina and what they each bring to the court for the Shocks.

Together, Lamb is putting more responsibility on two freshmen attackers than at any time since his earliest days rebuilding the program.

This week's Shocker Volleyball Classic adds to the challenge. The Shockers (3-3) play No. 13 BYU (5-1) on Thursday (7 p.m.), defending Atlantic-10 champion VCU (4-3) on Friday (7 p.m.) and No. 3 Texas on Saturday (7 p.m.)

"I'm very thankful to (Lamb) for the opportunity to play such high-level teams," Anderson said. "We're excited, we're eager, we're hungry for it. One of my favorite things is playing as an underdog. You can go out there and play with nothing to lose."

[RoyalShock]

Shocks took the first set from BYU, 25-23.

BYU tied the match by winning the 2nd set, 25-16.

WSU trails 10-16 in the 3rd..

[RoyalShock]

BYU takes set 3, 25-19 to go up 2-1.

[RoyalShock]

Shocks fall in set 4, 20-25, to lose the match.

[flyingMoose]

.111 v .245

9 blocks v 12

Megan 11-4-39 for .179
Nicole 10-5-35 for .143
Sina 9-6-28 for .107

[flyingMoose]

Post-match comments

Setting still not setting well enough.

Move on to practicing defense more than offense.

Serve and receive won by BYU.

Satisfied with effort - just going through growing pains.

[SuSHOCK]

Clearly missing Gio in the back row. Lilly played well once she got in. But passing is an issue on this team. Nicole missed several digs in the back row. They clearly need someone to step up in the back row to help out the setters.

[1972Shocker]

That was about as good as I was expecting score-wise from the Shocks against BYU. The Shocks did some really nice things at times and at other times some not so good things, Hopefully, doing the nice things more consistently will come as they gain experience. BYU simply too big and too skilled this Shocker team. Thought BYU served the ball very well. After watching them warm up I was kind of expectng they would serve tough.

If the Shocks are going to get one this weekend tomorrow against VCU will be their chance but far form guaranteed.

[JayPak]

BYU made a bunch of adjustments in practice after their home defeat at the hands of Marquette. They lost a ton of talent from last year at setter, MB, and back row serve receive but still have Mary Lake, one of the top ten liberos in the country (Civita would be in this group too, alas). The WCC is up this year, but BYU is still the class of the conference.

[1972Shocker]

Taylor Eldridge: How an undersized hitter from Hawaii became WSU volleyball’s biggest early-season surprise

Nice article by Taylor Eldridge on our Flyin' Hawaiian, Sina(lauali'i) Uluave.

She signed with Rider in December, but was released from her letter of intent in March when the coaching staff left. Uluave, who is 5-foot-11, quickly found that March was too late in the recruiting period to sell coaches on an undersized pin hitter.

“It was something I got told very often. It was actually kind of heartbreaking,” Uluave said. “I was really worried. I had swallowed the pill thinking I was going to have to go D2 and then transfer out. For me to be (at WSU) and getting playing time, it’s kind of unreal but it’s something I don’t take for granted and want to keep working on.”

While other coaches discounted Uluave due to her height, Lamb watched the film and saw an immediate contributor as a six-rotation player. “She has volleyball IQ, a large skill set, she’s powerful, competitive and she’s good on both pins,” Lamb said. “She’s a good digger and a good passer and I think eventually she’ll be great at both. She has it all, really.”

Through the first three weeks of the season, Lamb can already envision big things for Uluave in the coming years.

“I think she’s a born leader,” Lamb said. “Everything you hear about her from her former teammates and her coaches. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later that she’ll be as demanding here as she was in Hawaii. I really think she can be an alpha for us.”

[flyingMoose]

Sydney Petersen, the libero for Texas, is the daughter of the UNI coach, Bobbi Petersen.

[flyingMoose]

Shockers 0-3 VCU

15, 18, 18


Post-match

Very displeased with the defense. VCU hit .472, an embarrassing number.

[1972Shocker]

Tough night for the Shocks. Not many positives for the Shocks.

Certainly VCU deserves some credit for that. I thought they were very good. Would not surprise me if VCU upsets BYU.

[flyingMoose]

Unless BYU has a major post-Texas letdown, this will be 3-0. VCU is good, but we made them look very good with weak serving (it seemed like every VCU serve-receive was right on top of the setter) and poor defense which lead to the .472.

[flyingMoose]

BYU 3-1 VCU
8, (22), 22, 21

.271 v .103

Maybe we split the difference.

[flyingMoose]

Texas 3-0 Shockers
13, 9, 15

Actually, the Shocks played better than last night. Just overpowered, but they got smarter late with some power tips by Megan and Sina and powerful swings by Sina.

White and Eggleston are just a load for the Horns.

.026 v .429

[1972Shocker]

No doubt a mismatch. Texas looks like a lock for the final floor.