Spring 2025 Offseason Roster Changes and Spring Schedule

[WuDrWu]

Dug a bit into her stats. At first glance, it looks like they had an excellent senior setter last year and Elinor hit almost .300 on 650 attempts. This year, new setters, not nearly as good, and she hit .215 on nearly 800 attempts.

At just 6'0" though that's going to be a challenge for her to compete against middles that are 2-5" taller match after match. I'll try to find some highlights to see what kind of hops she possesses.

[1972Shocker]

MJ headed to Baylor.

SMU is clearly tampering. They already have 4 commits including Auburn's best player in '24 and 2 freshmen studs at USC. They are continuing to light money on fire in Dallas, but they certainly have it to burn.

Speaking of Auburn they already have 5 commits. Classes listed are for the 2025 season.

Belle Patrick 6-1 So. OH - Virginia
Shanelle Puetz 5-10 So. S - FGCU
Eden Bower 6-3 Sr. OH - BYU
Kate Mansfield 6-2 So. MB - California
Lizzy Markovska 5-11 R-Sr. OH - Cal Poly

So Auburn may have been greasing the skids as well.

[WuDrWu]

So Auburn may have been greasing the skids as well.

I'm confident that what passes for acceptable in the SEC would be seen as criminal in most other settings. It is a cut throat landscape right now, and getting worse by the day.

[1972Shocker]

MF.

I agree. More Fun!

[1972Shocker]

Reagan is headed to Austin Peay State. Don't know much about the program, I hope she does well there.

Austin Peay has moved into a tie with Auburn for the most incoming transfers from the portal with 6 including the Shockers' Reagan Anderson.

[Critter's Pa]

Austin Peay has moved into a tie with Auburn for the most incoming transfers from the portal with 6 including the Shockers' Reagan Anderson.

Are they done? I wonder if they are going to have any more transfers when the portal window ends. Only one of their incoming transfers has one year of eligibility left (Senior or Grad), so it's not like they loaded up on 4th and 5th year players. The best example of this is SMU, three of their five incoming transfers are in their final year of eligibility.

I am surprised that Memphis hasn't landed anyone yet. Maybe they have a large freshman class. So far, Rice, Tulane, and North Texas have not had any portal activity. Thought that with North Texas letting go their coach, a number of their players might hit the portal.

Will WSU get any more players out the the portal? A Setter? Opposite? Another OH?

I get going for a middle. Between Haley's departure and some uncertainty of availability due to injury, It's the position that needs more shoring up.

If we get a setter, I bet it will be in the spring portal. I hope we don't, because it would mean that both our setters played horribly in spring games. I hope they learned a lot from watching Izzi. They have been playing/practicing with Brooklyn, Emerson, Gracie, and Maddie (frontrunners for starting spots next year), so hopefully they have rapport with them and the other 2024 non-starters on the team.

If we pull an Opposite, I think that would mean that coach is looking to move Brooklyn to the left side.

I would like to have a player with a nice top spin jump serve.

Haley is headed to Sioux Falls, a DII school.

[1972Shocker]

Not sure at all what motivated Gonzo to transfer but looking at form Houston's perspective I can see why they would pursue her pretty aggressively.

Houston did not have that great of a year last year going 12-16 overall and 7-11 in conference play. Furthermore, they only have 8 players from the 19 player roster returning in 2025. Of those 8 players 2 appear to have been in Houston's regular rotation, 3 were used in reserve roles, and 3 did not play in 2025.

The 3 who did not play last year include:

Kellen Morin a 6-4 R-Sr MB who transferred to Houston from Virginia Tech as a sophomore and had solid years as a main rotation player as a sophomore and a junior. Not sure why she did not play last year but guessing it was due to injury.

Coley Shiflet, a 5-4 R-Fr. L/DS, who redshirted last year. Understandable with Kate Georgiades playing her final year and a junior backing her up.

Aiden Conner a 6-3 MB who transferred from Columbia. She will be a 5th year players at Houston but only played in one of her 4 previous years when she played in 19 matches and 60 sets averaging 1.28 kps and 0.97 bps.

Of the 8 returning players 2 are outside hitters. One was in the main rotation and one primarily used in a reserve role.

So clearly Houston is in the market for players and they were probably in Gonzo's ear either directly or through intermediaries during the season. Not sure what kind of NIL dollars Houston has for Volleyball but most likely it is substantially more than Lambo has at his disposal.

So far Houston has 3 commitments out of the portal and they signed 4 freshmen, including 4 outside hitters. So at this point they have 15 players on their roster so they may not be done with portal recruiting yet although they might wait to see what is available after the Spring portal window opens.

[Critter's Pa]

New player from portal. Sydney Dunning, junior, 6'0" outside hitter, from Cal State Bakersfield.

Last year:
Played in all 108 sets.
Hit .225 (386 150 1050), 3.57 kills/set. 447.5 points, 4.14 points/set
43 aces. 31 service errors. 37 reception errors on 680 attempts.
216 digs, 2.00 digs/set. 33 total blocks.

Looks like she played 6 rotations for CSB. Nice player, looks like there will be plenty of competition for starting spots. Had several double doubles (kills/digs) last year. Ace to SE ratio is nice.

[1972Shocker]

looks like there will be plenty of competition for starting spots.

So at this point we have 13 returners on the 2025 roster, 2 portal commitments and 10 incoming freshmen signed for a total of 25 which is 7 over the 2025 roster limit.

Not sure how many of those incoming freshmen will beng enrolled this upcoming spring semester but it seems to me the Spring will be primarily competition for a roster spot with the battle for starting spots to take place mostly next fall and perhaps throughout the 2025 season if this past season is a barometer.

Those 25 players broken down by position include:

Defensive Specialists: 4 returners + 1 incoming freshman = 5
Middle Blockers: 3 returners + 1 portal commitment + 4 incoming freshmen = 8
Outside Hitters: 4 returners + 1 portal transfer + 5 incoming freshmen = 10
Setters: 2 returners = 2

[1972Shocker]

Memphis announced on December 4th that they would not renew Head Coach Sean Burdette's contract. It does not appear that a replacement has been hired yet.

Memphis had 18 players on their 2024 roster. As of now 5 are returning, 3 used up their eligibility, 2 players appear to have dropped the sport and 8 have entered the portal. Of the 8 in the portal have committed to other D-1 programs and 1 to a D-II program

Of the 5 returning players they return their starting libero, starting setter, a 6-3 Jr. MB who played in about 25% of total sets played by Memphis, and 2 defensive specialists.

The best I can tell is they signed 4 incoming freshman. How many of those recruits will follow through with their commitments is hard to say. There signings were announced about 3 weeks before the Memphis Coach was let go. Chances to play as a freshman certainly have improved.

[1972Shocker]

So far the AAC has had 25 players enter the portal and have 12 incoming transfers.

The biggest loss so far appears to be Memphis with 6-2 OH Junior-to-be Hannah Jones who has committed to Ohio State. Hannah was a 2nd team AAC All-Conference player in 2024.

The biggest winner so far looks to be USF picking up a 6-2 OH/OPP RS Soph from TCU, a 6-0 Grad Transfer Setter from Missouri and a 6-3 Jr. MB from Hofstra.

[Critter's Pa]

So at this point we have 13 returners on the 2025 roster, 2 portal commitments and 10 incoming freshmen signed for a total of 25 which is 7 over the 2025 roster limit.

Not sure how many of those incoming freshmen will beng enrolled this upcoming spring semester but it seems to me the Spring will be primarily competition for a roster spot with the battle for starting spots to take place mostly next fall and perhaps throughout the 2025 season if this past season is a barometer.

Those 25 players broken down by position include:

Defensive Specialists: 4 returners + 1 incoming freshman = 5
Middle Blockers: 3 returners + 1 portal commitment + 4 incoming freshmen = 8
Outside Hitters: 4 returners + 1 portal transfer + 5 incoming freshmen = 10
Setters: 2 returners = 2

Not sure how much I like the new roster size rule. I'm not sure how long this rule has been considered, but I thought the rule change was brought on by a recent court ruling. Not sure how a school can turn away someone who made a commitment before the rule change. I'm sure that many incoming freshmen might have chosen another school where they were nearly guaranteed a roster spot verses risking not making the team. I wonder if exceptions will be given for a couple of years. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the incoming freshmen commit to another school.

How many players per position do you think we will have?
If we have:
4 DSs
2 setters
5 middles
6 pins
that leaves 1 spot open. 2 spots, if we go with 4 middles. Add Another DS? Pin hitter(s)? A third setter?

I would think the incoming transfers would make the roster. If there was a good chance they would get cut, they might have transferred somewhere else.

When was the last time the Shockers had 18 (or fewer) on the roster? Seems like there is usually more than 20 players.

[WuDrWu]

Shocks add a High Point setter to the team.

https://x.com/GoShockersVB/status/1879933130888671535

At first glance I assumed Hannah was the 2nd setter in a 6-2 but after glancing at the schedule, I have no idea. She split time with Sr. Allie Gray. Hannah has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

Given that Gray was a departing senior, it seems that Hannah would have likely stepped into the starting role this fall, but that's just a guess. Anyway, looks like the setter position is wide open.

Lambo has tried running a 6-2 a few times but for most of the quarter century here at WSU he has settled into a 5-1 as the season wore on. Maybe 2025 is the year for 2 setters.

[1972Shocker]

To update the current roster count:

The Shocks now have 13 returners on the 2025 roster, 3 portal commitments and 10 incoming freshmen signed for a total of 26 which is 8 over the 2025 roster limit.

Not sure how many of those incoming freshmen will beng enrolled this upcoming spring semester but it seems to me the Spring will be primarily competition for a roster spot with the battle for starting spots to take place mostly next fall and perhaps throughout the 2025 season if this past season is a barometer.

Those 25 players broken down by position include:

Defensive Specialists: 4 returners + 1 incoming freshman = 5
Middle Blockers: 3 returners + 1 portal commitment + 4 incoming freshmen = 8
Outside Hitters: 4 returners + 1 portal transfer + 5 incoming freshmen = 10
Setters: 2 returners + 1 portal transfer = 3

The winter transfer portal window closed on January 6th. So between now until the 2025 fall semester starts some combination of 8 players will enter the Spring transfer portal (May 1 - May 15), de-commit from the income freshman class, and/or give up playing collegiate volleyball.

[1972Shocker]

As far as the setter position goes the 3 setters currently in the mix are:

6-1 Redshirt Freshman Sarah Musial
5-11 Redshirt Junior Hannah Hawkins
6-0 Redshirt Freshman Simone Grieser

In addition, Lambo has a setter commitment for the Class of 2026 from 6-1 Addie Oeth out of Verona, Wisconsin.

Not surprising that Lambo would want to add some experience at the Setter position. He may or may not decide to run a 6-2 offense next fall. My expectation is that Simone Grieser will probably enter the portal in May (assuming she wants to continue to play collegiately). Although in this day and age who the heck knows what will happen. All we know for sure at this point is that 8 players currently on the Shocker roster or currently committed to play for the Shockers will not be on the roster next fall.

Full Spring semester classes begin on next Tuesday (January 21st). Presumably we should know at that point which, if any, of the incoming freshman will be enrolled for the Spring Semester. Perhaps we will see those additions to the roster next week (if there are any).