Volleyball: Under Armour Challenge (Aug 25-26)

[1972Shocker]

https://goshockers.com/news/2023/8/2...challenge.aspx

Friday, Aug. 25 (1:30 p.m. CT) vs. Notre Dame
Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

Friday, Aug. 25 (7:00 p.m. CT) at Texas Tech
Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

Saturday, Aug. 26 (11:30 a.m. CT) vs. Houston Christian
Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Live Stats // Watch

All matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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SEASON PREVIEW:

• Head coach Chris Lamb returns an experienced roster in 2023. Wichita State brings back 94% of their kills from last season's roster, with all-conference hitters Brylee Kelly, Sophia Rohling and Natalie Foster leading the way. The roster features nine players who have spent at least three years in the program.
• While Wichita State must replace departed libero Lily Liekweg, the returning "littles" provide a solid defensive nucleus. Junior defensive specialist Annalie Heliste has the most match experience, and sophomore Katie Galligan stepped into a prominent role last year as a true freshman. Newcomer Gabi Maas, a TCU transfer, earned the nod at libero in the exhibition, and freshman Reagan Anderson will be a day one contributor. Redshirt junior Kylie Marneris is one of the Shockers emotional leaders and played in three matches in 2022.
• Now in her sixth season in the program, outside hitter Brylee Kelly is on pace to leave her mark in the Wichita State record book. Kelly enters 2023 with 986 career kills, needing 132 to break into the top ten of WSU's career leaderboard. Should Kelly match her 2022 total of 396 kills, she would climb to #3 on the list.
• Junior transfer Barbara Koehler is expected to boost the Shocker attack following a standout career at Florida SouthWestern. Koehler was named 2022 NJCAA DI Volleyball Player of the Year and AVCA Two-Year College Player of the Year after leading the Buccaneers to the NJCAA National Championship, averaging 3.74 kills per set while hitting .324. In Wichita State's spring match against national power Nebraska, Koehler led WSU with 10 kills on just 18 attempts, hitting .444.
• The AAC has a new look in 2023, as UCF, Houston and Cincinnati have departed for the Big 12. In their place are newcomers UAB, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice and UTSA. The conference has also altered its schedule with the introduction of divisions. Teams play opponents within their own division back-to-back on Fridays and Saturdays, while playing single matches against opponents from outside the division on Fridays and Sundays. Wichita State's fellow West Division foes are North Texas, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, and UTSA.
• Wichita State is scheduled to play four first-time opponents in 2023. In addition to conference newcomers Florida Atlantic and UAB, the Shockers take on Notre Dame and Houston Christian for the first time in program history at the season-opening Under Armour Challenge. WSU has played 2023 opponents Colorado and Charlotte just once apiece.

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SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH:

• Notre Dame is coming off a 10-18 season a year ago, including a 5-13 mark in ACC play good for 12th place in the 15-team conference.
• The Fighting Irish opened last season at home against Texas Tech and now make the return trip to Lubbock to kick off the 2023 slate.
• The Fighting Irish won four ACC matches in a row from Oct. 7-16, but followed that hot stretch by dropping nine straight, including six sweeps. Notre Dame shares two common opponents with Wichita State on the 2023 schedule, as the Fighting Irish will host Illinois and Oklahoma in consecutive matches.
• Head coach Salima Rockwell is in her second season in South Bend after succeeding Mike Johnson, who was not retained after four years. Rockwell's coaching career is highlighted by two stints at Penn State, where she helped the Nittany Lions to three national championships. Rockwell was a three-time All-American setter for Penn State and captained the US National Team. Rockwell also served as an assistant at Texas from 2009-13, where she was on the same coaching staff as current Wichita State assistant coach Brian Hosfeld.
• Notre Dame struggled offensively a season ago, ranking last in the ACC in both hitting percentage (.172) and kills per set (11.52). Leading hitters Lucy Trump and Avery Ross return after combining for 479 kills in 2022. Returning setter Phyona Schrader had two triple doubles in 2022, and the Irish have also added Georgia Tech graduate transfer Nicole Drewnick at the position.

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SCOUTING THE RED RAIDERS:

• Texas Tech is coming off a 16-13 (5-11) season in 2022, ending the campaign in a tie for seventh in the nine-team Big 12 standings. The Red Raiders opened the season 13-2 including consecutive conference victories, but lost 10 of the next 11 matches.
• The Red Raiders are tasked with replacing a pair of all-conference honorees in 2023. Outside hitter Kenna Sauer led Texas Tech with 423 kills on her way to a First Team All-Big 12 selection, while middle blocker Brooke Kanas was a Second Team pick after pacing the Red Raiders with 111 blocks.
• Senior setter Reese Rhodes is back in Lubbock after ranking 34th nationally with 10.53 assists per set. Only Maddie O'Brien (126 kills) returns among the five Red Raiders who notched triple-digit kills in 2022.
• The Red Raiders have added three Power Five transfers to the roster in 2023, highlighted by former Tennessee right-side Emily Merrick. Elena Leontaridou (Providence) and Simone Overbeck (Arizona) join Merrick among the transfers.
• Longtime head coach Tony Graystone enters his eighth season at the helm of the Red Raiders. Now in his 24th season as head coach, Graystone has accumulated a record of 545-266, including seven seasons with 30 or more wins while at D-II powerhouse West Texas A&M.

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SCOUTING THE HUSKIES:

• Houston Christian is coming off perhaps the best season in program history, a 23-11 campaign that included the Huskies first Southland Conference regular season championship. The Huskies lost in the Southland Conference Tournament championship to Southeastern Louisiana, then dropped their postseason opener in the NIVC first round at UTRGV.
• The Huskies ranked among the nation's leaders in several major statistical categories, including team digs (2,172 - 8th), total attacks (4,704 - 9th) and team assists (1,582 - 18th). Setter Grace McLaughlin racked up 1,268 assists, 23rd nationally, on her way to conference Newcomer of the Year honors.
• Right side Anna Gadway, outside hitter Sara Arroyo and middle blocker Audrey Pearce joined McLaughlin on the all-conference team. All four Huskies return in 2023, plus setter Ellie Wipf, was First Team All-Southland in 2021 before she was sidelined due to injury.
• Head coach Trent Herman is a Kansas native, born in Garden City before playing college volleyball at Fort Hays State. Now in his 12th season at Houston Christian and 14th overall, Herman owns a career record of 192-149 (.563). The 23 wins last season are the most for the Huskies under Herman, who was named the Southland Coach of the Year.

[1972Shocker]

Last year, the Shocks ranked 274th nationally with 1.26 aces per set and committed 2.17 errors per stanza. The Shockers had 7 aces and 14 errors in the OU exhibition match. Hopefully, they get that fixed. I don't see them as a team that will put up a ton of aces so they really need to cut down on the service errors in my opinion.

Perhaps the biggest question mark I have for this tournament is the health of Sophia Rohling.

Notre Dame is coming off a poor year but had a coaching change last. I would expect them to be better this year. Texas Tech was decent last year but have lost a lot. How they do may depend a lot on how the transfers they brought in perform. Houston Christian is not a big name but had a very good season last year in winning the Southland regular season. The return all 4 of the Southland All-Conference players from last year plus get back a First Team All-Conference setter before missing last year due to injury.

It doesn't seem like a particularly tough field but I think the Shocks will have to play better offensively than they did against OU in their exhibition match.

[JayPak]

First time in a long time the Shocks and Jays won’t square off. Good luck this season!

[WuDrWu]

First time in a long time the Shocks and Jays won’t square off. Good luck this season!

Is the young lady that transferred in from Rice going to play, or just added depth?

[Critter's Pa]

First time in a long time the Shocks and Jays won’t square off. Good luck this season!

This too surprised me. I'm going to guess it had to do with conference realignment. I think they, the AAC, had a hard time figuring out the regular season schedule format. It was almost like they forgot about doing it... Since the coaches may not have known (I don't know if they did or not) when their regular season schedule is going to start, it seems like that would affect preseason scheduling. While I think the preseason schedule this year is good, I think WSU would have been able to schedule better teams had the regular season schedule, or even the schedule format, been released sooner. I bet the Shocks and Jays play next year, hopefully in Wichita.

[WuDrWu]

This too surprised me. I'm going to guess it had to do with conference realignment. I think they, the AAC, had a hard time figuring out the regular season schedule format. It was almost like they forgot about doing it... Since the coaches may not have known (I don't know if they did or not) when their regular season schedule is going to start, it seems like that would affect preseason scheduling. While I think the preseason schedule this year is good, I think WSU would have been able to schedule better teams had the regular season schedule, or even the schedule format, been released sooner. I bet the Shocks and Jays play next year, hopefully in Wichita.

You're right, because they didn't decide on whether or not to hold a postseason tournament until the very last moment. A total CF.

[WuDrWu]

I watched a little of the OU Gonzaga match. The Zags are picked near the bottom of a very competitive WCC. OU out classed them at every turn. 11, 18, 20. 17 of the Zags 49 points came off Sooner serving errors (plus 5 more reception errors). Not much to take from it. OU's middles hit about .650 and they had 24 BAs (and 1 solo) as a team.

[JayPak]

Is the young lady that transferred in from Rice going to play, or just added depth?

She’s probably fourth on the depth chart at OH. More likely to see time at RS. Question marks for the team are at L and RS.
Her dad is an alum who played baseball.

[WuDrWu]

She’s probably fourth on the depth chart at OH. More likely to see time at RS. Question marks for the team are at L and RS.
Her dad is an alum who played baseball.

Knew the name sounded familiar.

[flyingMoose]

The 130 pm start for this match will not happen. Texas Tech and Houston Christian are in their Fifth Set. I would expect the start time to be closer to 215 pm.

Edit:
Houston Christian 2-3 Texas Tech
(26), (20), 25, 18, 13

Interestingly, Abilene Christian is also part of the weekend. They have a match on Saturday and on Sunday. Doubtless, Lambo said, "We will come, but we are not playing ACU."

I am not sure the standard amount of time between matches. My 215 pm estimate assumed 30 minutes. It is probably longer than that.


Match One

Notre Dame v Shockers

Set One

[1972Shocker]

You're right, because they didn't decide on whether or not to hold a postseason tournament until the very last moment. A total CF.

Do you know for sure that was the reason. The Shocks and Creighton had played in 6 of the last 7 years all in a non-conference tournament format. They DNP in the 20200 Covid year.

The tournament generally included Iowa State and/or Wyoming with the host sight rotating among those teams with the Shockers hosting in 2017 and 2021..
2016-2017-2018 it was Wichita State, Creighton and Iowa State
2019 it was Wichita State, Creighton and Wyoming
2021 it was Wichita State, Creighton and South Dakota
2022 it was Wichita State, Creighton and Wyoming

This year Omaha is hosting Creighton and Iowa State on on September 8 and 9. The Shocks are hosting Kansas and Colorado that weekend.

Seems like it might also have just involved scheduling conflicts that couldn't be worked out. Could also be the gate benefit to Creighton and Omaha when they play in Omaha.

The Shocks playing KU and Colorado at home is more than acceptable trade off.

[1972Shocker]

Notre Dame up 15-12 in Set 1. Shocks not looking all that good. Notre Dame seems to have superior fire power so far.

Reagan Anderson in to serve wearing the upside down 2.

Notre Dame 25-18 om Set 1. This is not encouraging in any way, shape or form.

Hope Lambo has some adjustments he can make.

Ba Koehler in for MorganW in Set 2.

Sophia Rohling not playing. Big problem for the Shocks.

[WuDrWu]

Koehler providing some help but otherwise we look terrible. Very disappointing even with our star RS

[WuDrWu]

I swear to heck we’re trying to block with our eyes closed.

[WuDrWu]

In defense of the Irish, they have dug a ton of tough balls.