Volleyball Offseason/Roster Changes

[Critter's Pa]

I wonder if posting this GoShockers article means we are done with incoming transfers. That is pretty much a whole new starting six- Two outside hitters, a right side hitter, setter, middle blocker and libero- transferring to WSU, not to mention the incoming freshmen.

Looks like there should be lots of competition for getting into the starting lineup next year at every position.

The only player that I cannot see losing her starting roll is Natalie Foster. If she is on the bench, the Shockers will have (at least) 3 very good middles.

Sophia could be the second most secure starting player position-wise. I don't know if any of the new players are lefties, although that is not a prerequisite to playing right side.

Kayce might be in a battle for starting at setter. Will coach go with a 6-2?

Starting Outside Hitter(s) could be a tossup. Brylee has the advantage here, being a Senior and having experience with the program. Will someone step up and move into her starting roll?

Libero/DS is the place I hope we see the most improvement, specifically passing. I think this was the Shocker's weakness last year. When the passing was off, we looked bad. I bet these positions, Libero and DS, will have the most competition. We will have lots of players on the roster who can play that position- Katie, Lara, Annalie, Kylie, Gabi Maas (transfer), Reagan Anderson (freshman), and, of course, Morgan Weber. Which of those players up their game and make it a tough decision for Coach on gamedays?

Will anyone be able to replace Morgan Weber?

Can't wait for spring volleyball.

[WuDrWu]

I believe the portal is now closed so barring a summer move, yes, transfers are complete.

Should be an interesting spring season!

[1972Shocker]

I see the goShockers.com has a preliminary 2023 roster up excluding the 9 newcomers.

Lily, Sophie and Hailey are the only players from the 2022 roster not on the 2023 roster but that can change.

There are 15 players listed on the preliminary roster, so as it stands right now, we are looking at a 24 player roster for 2023.

Assuming that Lily, Sophie and Hailey were all on volleyball scholarships (and I don't know for sure if they were or not) and assuming that the (at least) 9 other volleyball scholarship players in 2022 have had the scholarships renewed (and I have no reason to believe they do not) then of the 3 freshman and 6 transfers coming in only 3 of them, at most, will be coming in on volleyball scholarships. I suspect at least 2 of the 3 incoming freshman will be on volleyball scholarship which, accurate would mean that at most only 1 of the 6 transfers will be on volleyball scholarship. My guess is that Izzi Strand, the 6-1 UC San Diego setter, would be the 1 transfer on a volleyball scholarship.

I looks like Izzi will have 2 more seasons of eligibility if she chooses. Bringing her in does perhaps say something about whether or not Lauren Wheeler is ready to contribute at the setter position.

No doubt a good number, if not all, of our non-volleyball scholarship players are receiving some time of academic aid to some degree or another as most of these ladies are very good students.

The only players we know for sure will use their eligibility in 2023 are Brylee, Kayce and Sophia.

As it stands now the 2023 roster breakdown by position is as follows:
3 Setters: 5-10 Sr. Kayce Litzau, 6-1 Sr. Izzi Strand, 5-11 R-Fr. Lauren Wheeler
7 Outside Hitters: 6-2 R-Sr. Brylee Kelly, 6-3 Sr. Sophia Rohling, 5-11 Jr. Morgan Weber, 6-2 So. Emerson Wilford, 6-0 Jr. Barbara Koehler, 6-0 R-So. Brooklyn Leggett, 6-0 R-So. Megan Reilly
8 Middle Blockers: 6-4 Jr. Natalie Foster, 6-1 R-Jr. Morgan Stout, 6-3 R-So. Lauren McMahon, 6-0 R-So. Addy Badley, 5-11 R-Fr. Lauren Cary, 6-1 So. Maddie Wilson, 6-2 Fr. Allie Paulsen,
6-3 Fr. Haley Wolfe
6 Defensive Specialists: 5-2 Jr. Lara Uyar, 5-9 So. Katie Galligan, 5-5 Jr. Annalie Heliste, 5-5 R-Jr. Kylie Marneris, 5-9 So. Gabi Maas, 5-3 Fr. Reagan Anderson

My expectations are that the Shockers should be better in 2023. We don't lose all that much from last year and everyone else will be a year older. We need our key players to stay healthy. I would especially like to see Sophia able to play a full season in relatively good health..

Obviously, the Libero position is wide open and there for the taking. Will Morgan Weber be in the mix to play the Libero position with Barbara Koehler able to slide into her 6 rotation role.

Can we find more dependable scoring out of the 2nd and 3rd middles behind Natalie.

Who might step up behind Kelly and Natalie to provide some scoring punch on the outside. Emerson Wilford showed some flashes last year but only hit .095 as a freshman. Can she take a big leap forward and upward. Perhaps Megan Reilly will be able to fill that role.

Will Lambo install and stick with a 6-2 offense?

The spring season could be interesting but a lot of that will depend on how many of the 9 newcomers are enrolled for the spring semester. WuDrWu do you have any insights on that?

[boyshocker]

Prediction...Barbara will start (barring injuries or Visa problems), best six rotation player we will have seen in last 6-7 years.

[1972Shocker]

Prediction...Barbara will start (barring injuries or Visa problems), best six rotation player we will have seen in last 6-7 years.

Could be. Jody Larsen's last season was 2016.

[WuDrWu]

Disclaimer: You aren't getting any inside knowledge from me at this point. Following are only my opinions.


You have to think the 6-2 is almost certain for the fall. If we're being fair, Kayce has done a good job as setter, but not spectacular. If healthy, we're pretty darn good up front. Having Kayce and Izzy set from the back you think would improve our scoring. I watched the UC-San Diego @ Hawai'i match (Rainbow Wahine won 3-1 in a very close, competitive match and McDaniel for UCSD is a monster in the making 6-4 So middle/opposite). Izzy is good. Not Emily Hiebert good but solid. Very small sample size, but I would say she's as good if not a tad better than Kayce. She also played a 5-1 at UCSD.

Of course, you're limited with subs and the 6-2 accelerates that.

Competition is going to be rugged for playing time. It's my understanding all the transfers are here for spring ball. None of the 3 freshman are (just my understanding, I wouldn't bet on it). Gabi Maas would be my favorite for Libero or most used DS. I was impressed with her skill set in some highlights.

As for the incoming FR, it would *NOT be unusual for there to be a 4 for 5 type set up where they get academic (if eligible) help for year 1 when costs are generally lower (with the idea of redshirting) then get 4 years of a scholarship. It's happened in the past (not saying it's for sure with any of these 3, just throwing it out there). Of course, that's assuming all 3 freshman are not walk ons.

I get the feeling Addy Badley is a wild card. She hasn't been healthy and if she's completely back into form, she's a plus athlete that could be a scorer for sure.

I would also guess that BK is done being a 6 rotation player. She's excellent on the outside, especially when fresh and the 6 rotation is sufferingly taxing. I would like to see her just with front row responsibilities and again, if we're being fair, we need to pass and serve receive better from her back row position. But then again, substitutions.

I would think Barbara is the leading contender for that 6 rotation spot (I liked what I saw from her in the back row, a lot) but I'd be less confident in that than I am in the 6-2 for example.

The spring matches are probably must see if we can get there (hopefully at least one at home?).

[1972Shocker]

Thanks, WuDrWu for those opinions and observations. I really can't take issue with anything you said. I think with this many players on the roster a redshirt year for the 3 freshman is a very likely scenario.

Something Lambo used to do with great regularity including the two most recent volleyball players to enter the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. Perhaps he is looking to try to get back to that if he can.

[1972Shocker]

RH: "Become The Best Lasagna We Can" (Shockers Add Six Newecomers to Roster)

https://goshockers.com/news/2023/1/31/volleyball-rh-become-the-best-lasagna-we-can.aspx

The additions, Lamb expects, make his team deeper and more versatile at every position.

"We have something for everyone," he said. "The gym is better than it was in the fall. We've added more pieces and everybody that is here can play."

Boosting Wichita State's scoring options was one of Lamb's main goals.

Wichita State, in Lamb's view, outperformed its point-scoring statistics with organization, teamwork and hustle. To make a jump in the standings, the Shockers need to put the ball on the floor more often.

In the first weeks of practice, the newcomers are learning how Lamb coaches. Kelly, Leggett said, is helping her adjustment with regular check-ins and advice. One practice session featured a drill in which defenders dug and passed, then chased small rubber balls, to work on agility. A drill designed to solidify passing technique meant using a stick as an arm brace.

"It's been a lot of things I've never done before," Leggett said. "We put sticks in our arm pits, and held the stick, and we were passing. I've never heard of anyone doing that before. It was teaching me things I didn't think it would be teaching me."

Strand is impressed by the competition in practices.

"I love the skill level of play and practice," she said. "Everyone is driven, not by points, not by the game, but driven by themselves. I feel like that will come out on the court in the fall."

"We have a 40-minute session, and you work the entire time," Strand said. "(Lamb) is very creative, which is fun for me. I want to be surprised. Volleyball is very random, so it's fun when we do random things that are very similar to game play."

[jimshocker]

RH: "Become The Best Lasagna We Can" (Shockers Add Six Newecomers to Roster)

https://goshockers.com/news/2023/1/31/volleyball-rh-become-the-best-lasagna-we-can.aspx

The additions, Lamb expects, make his team deeper and more versatile at every position.

"We have something for everyone," he said. "The gym is better than it was in the fall. We've added more pieces and everybody that is here can play."

Boosting Wichita State's scoring options was one of Lamb's main goals.

Wichita State, in Lamb's view, outperformed its point-scoring statistics with organization, teamwork and hustle. To make a jump in the standings, the Shockers need to put the ball on the floor more often.

In the first weeks of practice, the newcomers are learning how Lamb coaches. Kelly, Leggett said, is helping her adjustment with regular check-ins and advice. One practice session featured a drill in which defenders dug and passed, then chased small rubber balls, to work on agility. A drill designed to solidify passing technique meant using a stick as an arm brace.

"It's been a lot of things I've never done before," Leggett said. "We put sticks in our arm pits, and held the stick, and we were passing. I've never heard of anyone doing that before. It was teaching me things I didn't think it would be teaching me."

Strand is impressed by the competition in practices.

"I love the skill level of play and practice," she said. "Everyone is driven, not by points, not by the game, but driven by themselves. I feel like that will come out on the court in the fall."

"We have a 40-minute session, and you work the entire time," Strand said. "(Lamb) is very creative, which is fun for me. I want to be surprised. Volleyball is very random, so it's fun when we do random things that are very similar to game play."

Here we go again with the “we are better” in the spring than last fall article. Seriously, I hope the Shockers play better volleyball next fall than they did this past fall.

”Mad Scientist” now making Lasagna. Will he or a player call him a “Crazy Cook” now?

Can we get a never ending bowl of “passing sauce” or a side “defensive salad” with our Lasagna?

Better yet. A “volleyball coach” coaching his “volleyball team” back to the NCAA Tournament in November?

Unless, of course we get distracted by our Head Volleyball Coach cooking up some NIVC “chicken nuggets” while telling us it’s NIVC Turkey.

Go Shocks! WIN on the court this fall, not in practice in January.

[WuDrWu]

Mental health IS health.

[shoxlax]

Don’t you have a match to referee in Siberia?

[Critter's Pa]

I get the feeling Addy Badley is a wild card. She hasn't been healthy and if she's completely back into form, she's a plus athlete that could be a scorer for sure.

I would also guess that BK is done being a 6 rotation player. She's excellent on the outside, especially when fresh and the 6 rotation is sufferingly taxing. I would like to see her just with front row responsibilities and again, if we're being fair, we need to pass and serve receive better from her back row position. But then again, substitutions.

I would think Barbara is the leading contender for that 6 rotation spot (I liked what I saw from her in the back row, a lot) but I'd be less confident in that than I am in the 6-2 for example.

The spring matches are probably must see if we can get there (hopefully at least one at home?).

From watching warmups before the last couple of games, Addy can smash the ball inside the 3m line. Granted, there are no defenders, but I'm sure she has a few other shots up her sleeve. Would like to see how she does in a game.

I'm kind of surprised that we have so many middles. I wonder if Lamb was expecting that a middle or two were going to transfer.

Barbara might be the one to replace Morgan Weber, at least in the front row. During her PoY acceptance, she said she left her family in Brazil at the age of 13 to focus on volleyball. I'm guessing she has a high volleyball IQ. She was a team captain, which shows that she has some leadership. Can she bring the Morgan-esque energy on the floor? Can anyone?

I agree that Brylee might be done as a 6 rotation player, unless she makes huge improvements in serve-receive. Teams would target her when serving and she was the weakest link.

Any rumors for the dates of spring volleyball?

[SubGod22]

WSU - Wichita State volleyball's Lara Uyar discusses the crisis in her home country of Turkey

Lara Uyar, a native of Turkey, discusses how she is affected by the current crisis in her country caused by an earthquake near the border with Syria.

“Is my family OK; are my friends OK?” she said. “I was really upset about it. It’s kind of hard for me, but I love being in the United State, because of my friends and my teammates, my coaches. They are making me happy. They are supporting me all the time.”

Uyar, a sophomore on Wichita State's volleyball team majoring in international business, talks about how she is handling the emotions of being far away from family and friends during the difficult time and how her teammates offer support. We also talk about sports in Turkey, her adjustment to the United States and spring volleyball practices at Wichita State.

Roundhouse podcast link (hopefully)

[SubGod22]

Go Shockers - Shockers Announce Spring Volleyball Schedule

WICHITA, Kan. -- Head coach Chris Lamb has announced the 2023 spring schedule for the Wichita State volleyball program, featuring four exhibition matches.

• March 24 - Black and Yellow Scrimmage (7:00 PM)
• March 25 - Kansas State (2:00 PM)
• April 8 - at Kansas City (Time TBD)
• April 29 - at Nebraska (Central City, Nebraska - 2:00 PM)

The schedule begins with the Black and Yellow scrimmage on March 24, followed the next day with a home match against in-state foe Kansas State. The Shockers and Wildcats have not played one another since the 2015 NCAA Tournament, a match the Shockers won in four sets. Both home matches will be open to the public with free admission.

Wichita State will go on the road to battle Kansas City on April 8, a rematch of last fall when the Shockers defeated the Roos in three sets. Three weeks later, Wichita State squares off against Nebraska in Central City, Nebraska. The Huskers finished last season 26-6 and ranked ninth in the final AVCA poll.

The Shockers return 15 players from a 2022 club that went 18-13 and reached the NIVC postseason tournament. Highlighting the returners are three all-conference players in middle blocker Natalie Foster, outside hitter Brylee Kelly and opposite Sophia Rohling. Chris Lamb enters his 24th season at the helm in 2023 with 482 wins to his credit.

[Critter's Pa]

I'm bummed that I may not be able to make it to the Black and Yellow Scrimmage due to work. Wait, I can feel an illness coming on... *cough cough*

K-State should be a nice test. A couple of them went to the US National Team open. Aliyah Carter, Sydney Bolding, and Shaylee Myers will definitely test our defense. I would guess that Ava Legrand will be setting of the Wildcats, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Loren Hinkle do some of the setting. Loren was a DS for her first three years and became their primary setter for most of last year. The K-State defense, anchored by Mackenzie Morris (who was, I think, the Big 12 scholar/athlete of the year), will be a good gauge of how the Shocker's offence is coming along. K-state also has a new head coach, Jason Mansfield.

We beat the Roos last year in a pre-conference match.

The Nebraska game will show how we compare to top level D1 teams.