Volleyball 2012 Spring Schedule

[1stThings1st]

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The match for tonight is still on as scheduled

[1972Shocker]

I attended the 10:00 am session of the KU scrimmage on Saturday morning. Probably about 25-30 fans in attendance. I was a little surprised it wasn't more but they didn't look like they were expecting any more than that. Fans sat in folding chairs along the sideline. Sitting on the sidelines certainly gives you a great perspective of the athleticism and power of the game played at this level and it is impressive.

The teams did not play a regular match. Instead they played multiple 4:00 minute sessions in which one team was always serving and the other always receiving. Lambo told me this format allowed them to see extended play from a rotation without making the substitutions you normally have during side out changes. It was also very fast paced. If the ball was not retreived so that it could be be quickly served into play by the player either Jeff or RJ would put the ball into play from the sideline. A lot of points were played in an hour and a half with this format.

Also it was very loosely officiated. In fact, it was basically a training session for a couple of officials. Marcia Alterman was there and she was critiquing, evalualting, answering questions, etc. with the officials sometimes talking with them as play was going on. There also were no linesman.

No score was kept and I didn't bother trying to keep score either.

KU looks like the have a pretty good team. Some very good, athletic size. A noticeable size advantage over the Shocks upfront.

Generally, I thought the Shocks held their own pretty well and I think we are looking at another re-loading year. I will comment in individual players in a separate post.

[1972Shocker]

Ok, comments on individual players. Caveats: This is from a very small sample size and, more importantly, I have an untrained eye.

1. Freshman Ashlyn Driskill looked very good. Looks like she will definitely be in the mix for significant playing time this year. An athletic OH who hits the ball with very good pace and control. Also has a a nice looking jump serve. As I mentioned on the Dr. Skill thread she reminds me a little of Emily Stockman. Again I hate to put those kind of expectations on a freshman but that is how she struck me. In any case I was impressed.

2. Chelsey Feekin looks like she is ready and very able to take the reigns at setter. She seemed very comfortable and looked pretty in-sync with the both the outsides and the middles. At 6'1" Chelsey is a physical presence at setter and being a left-hander gives her a natural advantage when she decides to attack. She did not attack a whole lot in the morning session which I believe was by design, although the few times she did attack she was pretty effective. She also will be a very capable blocker.

3. Elizabeth and Ashley will fill the middle very capably. The only thing that seemed new to me was that they ran a slide to the right with Ashely very effectively. I think they ran this some with Elizabeth last year but I don't think they ran it with Ashley much. But running it with Ashley is obviously something they are working on. Hannah Eakin played a little and looks like she can hold her own as needed. Kristin Byers the transfer from Mississippe State did not play much.

4. Emily was Emily. Sam had her right elbow in a brace but did not seem to be favoring it at all. The blast of the day came when one of the Shocker hitters, I'm not sure who it was, may have been Sam, hit one off the KU defender that ricocheted about 3/4 of the way up the back wall. Sam just looks like a bundle of power. As mentioned above Ashlyn Driskill looks like she will be in the mix but we will see. I assume Ashlyn graduated early from Valley Center and enrolled on her own dime so that she could participate in this spring's practices and then will go on scholarship in the fall.

5. None of the players wore a Libero jersey but it would appear to me that Jackie Church will probably fill that role primarily. Jordan Hinkle looks to be the likely #2 defensive specialist. Kelsey Banwart and Gaby Urban also saw time on the back row, but it appears to me the Jackie and Jordan are the leaders for those back row defensive assignments. The back row work was OK. I don't remember very many overpasses and most of the passes to Chelsey seemed pretty well made.

I asked Lambo what was on hand for the afternoon session and he said he and the KU coach would talk about it at lunch. I would be interested to hear observations from anyone who attended the afternoon session or from anyone else who was at the morning session and have additional observations or a different take on the observations that I have made.

[1972Shocker]

The only newcomers on the squad for the spring scrimmage were Freshman Ashlyn Driskill and Kristin Byers the 6'3" sophomore transfer from Mississippi State.

The Shocks also have outside hitters Katie Dudzunski from Elburn, IL (just west of the Chicago area) and Katie Reilly out of Houston, TX who have signed LOI's coming in the fall and perhaps also Mary Ashton Floyd who may actually be on academic scholarship. A redshirt or two or three would seem to be in order.

I am assuming that in next year's recruiting class Lambo and staff will be looking for the next outstanding setter to follow in the footsteps of Chelsey after she finishes up her career next year. That young lady may very well have been in the house Saturday. Emily Hiebert, a 5'11" junior from Newton, Kansas was in the house. Her and her parents were sitting near me and prior to the start of the scrimmage Shocker assistant coach Jeff Sanders was talking with her and her parents. I ask Emily is she was a volleyball player and she said yes. She told me she was from Newton and that she was a setter.

According to this link Emily plans on signing with Wichita State. http://www.varsitykansas.com/2011/11...olleyball.html

IIRC, former Shocker setter Abby Harsh was also from Newton.

[WuDrWu]

I wish I could remember but it seems like Lambo mentioned 1 more incoming Freshman at the dinner......I could easily be mistaken.

[1972Shocker]

I wish I could remember but it seems like Lambo mentioned 1 more incoming Freshman at the dinner......I could easily be mistaken.

Sounds like there are a couple more newcomers this fall over and above the ones I mentioned. Here is a nice report from Paul Suellentrop included in his monthly Shocker Report e-newsletter:

Wichita State volleyball coach Chris Lamb liked freshman Ashlyn Driskill’s athletic ability when he recruited her out of Valley Center. He wasn’t sure if she was ready mentally for the college game, and regarded her as a redshirt candidate.

Driskill, a 6-foot outside hitter, changed that outlook this spring. WSU wrapped up its four weekends of spring competition on Saturday against Kansas. Driskill will enter the fall as a possible starter. Lamb loves his numbers and Driskill, who graduated early from Valley Center so she could play this spring, met statistical standards for a left-side hitter in practices and scrimmages.

“I always knew she had the talent,” Lamb said. “We were wondering how long it would take her to acclimate to the speed of the game, the mental toughness, the resiliency, coming back after getting stuffed. She’s proven to be beyond our expectations at some of that stuff.”

Sophomore middle blocker Kristin Byers is also new to the Shockers this spring. She transferred to WSU at semester break. Byers, from Tucson, Ariz., played in eight matches for the Bulldogs last fall. Lamb needed to add another middle to his rotation and likes Byers’ potential and physical skills.

“She is capable of playing either middle slot, or, perhaps, the right side,” Lamb said. “She is the best volleyball player today that’s she’s ever been. She got a lot better in her two months as a Shocker, a lot better.”

Also new this fall: Mary Ashton Floyd, an outside hitter/right-side from Dallas;, Katy Dudzinksi, an outside/right-side hitter from Elburn, Ill.; Katie Reilly, a hitter and middle from Houston; outside/right-side Taylor Brownlee from Santa Rose, Calif and libero Danielle Mostrom of Springfield, Mo., Parkview.

Looks like my observations on Ashlyn Driskill were not too far off base.

I see that Lambo picked up a player literally out of Missouri State's back yard. I don't believe I have heard the names Taylor Brownlee or Danielle Mostrom previously so a little investigation may be in order.

[WuDrWu]

Yep, those were the names heard at the dinner last Friday. Lambo was EXTREMELY complimentary of Ashlyn in his remarks, specifically mentioning her progress and talent on 2 separate occasions.

Even with the loss of 3 outstanding seniors, I get the impression the staff doesn't think this is going to be a down year....at all. They didn't seemed pleased with their efforts at Oklahoma, but Chris commented that UT (an earlier opponent) could possibly win the National Championship next fall, and our girls played them almost even. He wasn't saying we were going to win the NC (Lambo's words, not mine) but he was making a point that the potential for this group is very large.

[1972Shocker]

At a very minimum the Shocks don't look like they are ready to take a step backward in MVC play especially now that Bre Payton has finally used up her eligibility at UNI. UNI will be good again this year as will MSU but is hard to believe UNI will be able to totally replace what Bre Payton did for that team. UNI also graduated Michelle Burrow, a very fine middle blocker. UNI still should be very good and they may even be picked to win the MVC again, but I just don't see them as formidable next year without Payton and Burrow.

MSU also graduated two very good players in 6'2" OH Kelly Michnowicz and 6'1" MB Calli Norman. Still the Bears will no doubt be very solid team again next year and in the mix for an MVC Championship.

Creighton also graduated two good players in 6'2" OH Karisa Almgren and 6'0" MB Laurel Sanford but should again field a very competitive team.

Of course, the Shockers big shoes to fill will be Mary Elizabeth Hooper at setter and Camri Zwiesler on the outside. I am optimistic the Shocks fill those positions more than capably and will be right in the mix for another run at the top of the MVC and another spot in the NCAA tournament field.

[1972Shocker]

Danielle Mostrom apparently signed her LOI in November:

http://blogs.news-leader.com/hssports/2011/11/08/parkviews-danielle-mostrom-will-sign-with-wichita-state-volleyball/

Here is an article and photo of Danielle who is listed at 5'8" (she is #6 in the photo):

http://highschoolsportscenter.com/article.aspx?id=1056

BTW, #1 in the photo is Gabi Mostrom, Danielle's sister who is a sophomore.

[WuDrWu]

If I understood correctly, Lambo also mentioned Nebraska will be making a trip to Wichita next spring.

[1972Shocker]

Nice article on 5'11" OH Taylor Brownlee out of Santa Rosa, CA:

http://www.pdpreps.com/news/article/31889/all-empire-large-school-volleyball-brownlee/

Not a total surprise to pull Taylor out ot Santa Rosa. Lambo is the former head coach and founder of the Empire Volleyball Club (Taylor's club team), one of the nation's most successful clubs based in Santa Rosa, Calif.

[1972Shocker]

If I understood correctly, Lambo also mentioned Nebraska will be making a trip to Wichita next spring.

That would be a must see. BTW, @WuDrWu: how were the speeches by the outgoing seniors?

[1972Shocker]

Nice write up about Chelsey Feekin in todays Wichita Eagle

Feekin (6-foot-1) is three inches taller than Hooper and left-handed, opening up offensive possibilities Lamb can’t wait to explore. WSU recently wrapped up spring drills and Feekin did nothing to diminish his enthusiasm.


“The offense that she is bringing is beyond any setter we’ve ever had here,” Lamb said. “When you get a setter that’s capable of that you have an opportunity to make people play differently, and many times that brings discomfort.”

Also some scheduling notes of interest:

WSU will play another taxing non-conference schedule this fall. The highlight is the return of a tournament to Koch Arena after a one-year absence. NCAA teams Colorado State and Tennessee (the 2011 SEC champion) are in the field, as is BYU, which went 21-9 last season.

The Shockers will travel to SMU for a tournament, also facing Auburn and Texas State. Oklahoma comes to Koch Arena for a mid-week match.

And as previously reported by @WuDrWu:

Nebraska will come to Koch Arena for an exhibition match (next Spring).

[SpanglerFan316]

I am looking forward to watching WSU volleyball in the fall. From friends who have seen the Shocks play in the spring, I had expected the 2012 season to be a disappointment. However the recent coverage gives me hope. In the end, however, it is the opportunity to watch Shocker volleyball again after being away for a year that makes me excited about the upcoming season.

[1972Shocker]

Pretty quiet on the Volleyball front. Perhaps no news is good news.

Strength coach did tweet the following this past Friday (June 15):

Adam Ringler@AdamRinglerVolleyball Lady Shox absolutely crushed the weight room this morning. "They sleep. We grind." Keep Attacking! #BurnTheBoats