Shocker VB vs Memphis & SMU

[1972Shocker]

WICHITA STATE (7-7, 2-1 American)

Friday, Oct. 7 (7:00 p.m. CT) vs. Memphis (12-5, 2-2 American)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

Sunday, Oct. 9 (1:00 p.m. CT) vs. SMU (10-6, 3-1 American)
Wichita, Kansas (Charles Koch Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:

• Memphis enters the week with an overall record of 12-5, including 2-2 in American Athletic Conference action. The Tigers were swept at home by UCF, won in five sets against South Florida, dropped a four-set decision at SMU, and then bested Cincinnati in four on the road in their most recent outing.
• The Tigers hosted three tournaments in the non-conference portion of the schedule, winning nine of ten combined matches at the Larry O. Finch Center.
• Memphis holds opponents to a .175 hitting percentage, the best mark in the conference. They have forced the opposition into 380 attack errors, 25 more than the next-closest team.
• Offensively, the Tigers are second-to-last in the conference with a .175 hitting percentage of their own. No Tigers rank in the top ten in The American in kills per set.
• Head coach Sean Burdette spent three seasons in the Missouri Valley Conference at Bradley (2008-10), and is now in his fifth season with the Tigers.

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS:

• SMU enters the week 10-6 overall, with a 3-1 mark in AAC play after a pair of four-set wins last week against Memphis and Cincinnati.
• Setter Celia Cullen directs a potent array of hitters, as the Mustangs are attacking at a .242 clip with the most total kills in the conference. Cullen ranks second in the AAC with 10.66 assists per set, with Natalie Perdue and Jamison Wheeler both in the top ten in kills per set.
• The SMU roster is littered with D1 transfers, including additions from Texas A&M, Michigan State, Baylor, Virginia, and Arkansas State.
• Head coach Sam Erger is in her first season in Dallas after eight seasons on the coaching staff at Baylor. Erger replaced long-time head coach Lisa Seifert, who stepped down following 27 seasons on the sideline for the Mustangs.

I expect both matches to be challenging ones against 2 teams that play totally different styles. SMU in particular looks like they could be a handful for the Shocks. Memphis has an RPI of 139, SMU's RPI is 50 and the Shocks sit at 86.

It will be interesting to see how the Shocks respond after suffering a total dismantling at the hands of UCF last Sunday. I think the Shockers badly need to beat Memphis to regain some confidence if they are going to have any chance of dealing with SMU.

[Shock Top]

Lost a 6 point lead late (22-16) in the second set, held on to win in extra points.

Lost a 4 point lead late (23-19) in the third set, lost in extra points.

Cant let the other team back in it like that.

[Shock Top]

Down 4-10 in the fourth set.

This is why you need to close out sets your winning late.

[Shock Top]

Up 22-18 in the fourth.

Need to close.

[Shock Top]

Won fourth set 25-19

[Shock Top]

Up 10-5 in the fifth.

FINISH THEM!!

[Shock Top]

15-5.

Shox win 3 sets to 2.

[WuDrWu]

The good: Found a way, somehow.

The bad: pretty much everything else. No Sophia and I heard she’s done for the season which pretty much ends any hope of a successful year. That was not good volleyball at all. Kudos to Emerson who stepped in late and was huge . Down 4-10 in the 4th we were dead

[flyingMoose]

Sophia ... done for the season ...

Cuz?

[flyingMoose]

Other Wednesday/Friday Matches

East Carolina 3-2 Temple
21, (18), 19, (18), 10

UCF 1-3 Houston
23, (22), 24, 22
Melville was 17-14-66 for .045

SMU 3-2 Tulsa
19, (20), (23), 21, 12

Cincinnati 3-2 Temple
22, 17, (22), (20), 8

South Florida 1-3 Tulane
23, 20, (21), 25

[1972Shocker]

Cuz?

According to Mike Kennedy on the ESPN+ replay.broadcoast Sophia was out with an abdominal injury sustained in practice this week. MIke said Sophia may be out for a considerable period of time. IIRC, Sophia was bothered with an abdominal strain or injury for a good part of the last year's season. Really big loss for the Shocks.

Sophie Childs started in Sophia's place and freshman Emerson Wilford got her most action since the KU match and gave the Shocks a spark in the critical 4th set when they were down 1 set to 2 and trailing 4-10.

Shocks were already needing to find more scoring. To Sophie and Emerson will need to step up and they have great opportunity. MorganW who had by far her best match against ECU, hitting 14-1-21 = .619, has struggled again in her last 2 matches against UCF and now Memphis hitting 4-2-32 = .0625 in those 2 matches putting her hitting % at .118 and she has the 3rd most attacks behind Brylee and Sophia. Hopefully, the Shockers can get more production form their middles but as Lambo said in his radio show that is hard to do unless they can do a better job of getting the ball to Kayce closer to the net.

[1972Shocker]

UCF 1-3 Houston
23, (22), 24, 22
Melville was 17-14-66 for .045

Pretty impressive work by Houston.

[1972Shocker]

After watching the replay of the Memphis match and how that unfolded I would not be at all surprised to see Freshman Emerson Wilford starting in place SophiE in SophiA's rotation vs SMU today. However, Emerson had not played on the right side since her sophomore year in high school so Lambo may prefer to stay with the more experienced Sophie.

Also would not be surpised to see Lauren McMahon moved ahead of Morgan Stout in the middle rotation today.

If that happens they need to play well as Lambo will not hesitate to go back to Sophie and MorganS.

Lara Uyar was also not available to play this weekend. I thought Katie Galligan did a decent job filling in for her. She had her ups and downs but so do the rest of our back row players.

SMU will probably bring much better talent to the court then Memphis did.

[1972Shocker]

SMU 25 - 21 in set 1.

Shocks did pretty well considering SMU totally shut down Brylee at 3-3-16 = 0. Natalie was the one bright spot hitting 6-0-9 = .667.

We'll see how it goes but Shocks look to be overmatched again.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks off to a good start in set 2 at 7-2. Can they maintain.

Lead shrinks to 2 at 11-9.

Shocks led 20-18 then the passing went south as it often does.

SMU 25 -21 in set 2.

Shocks had Natalie going good early in the set then could not seem to get back to her.

Definitely missing Sophia in this one.