2014 Schedule

[Play Angry]

2014 Schedule was released today- no home OOC matches and nothing at home until September 19 vs. Illinois State.

Should be a fun year but I'm sure Lambo lost some sleep trying to put this slate together.

[Shocker-maniac]

Any insight on the reason that all OOC games are on the road?

[The Mad Hatter]

Any insight on the reason that all OOC games are on the road?

Nothing specific to this season, but I know in the past the goal has been to host a tournament in Wichita, but that getting quality teams can be difficult. I'm guessing that this year our best chances to get quality matches meant going on the road, so that is what we are doing. It is no new thing that it is hard to get teams to come play us at Koch (as with other sports).

[1972Shocker]

Nothing specific to this season, but I know in the past the goal has been to host a tournament in Wichita, but that getting quality teams can be difficult. I'm guessing that this year our best chances to get quality matches meant going on the road, so that is what we are doing. It is no new thing that it is hard to get teams to come play us at Koch (as with other sports).

Yes, Lambo had hoped to have one home tournament plus at least one other home non-con match. However, he said it's more important for their at-large resume to play quality teams than it is to play a home tournament. This year he was just unable to attract the quality he wants for a home tournament and apparently he was unable to find anyone the would or could come to Wichita to play a single-match. OU used to be willing to do that but that attitude seems to have definitely changed a couple of years ago.

[flyingMoose]

Lambo and staff have commented in the past that it takes two or three years to put together a quality home tournament. Often there is a home-and-home element to the tournaments that he puts together.

As an aside, who volunteers to ask Lambo at the Dinner why we and OU are not BFF anymore?

[Cdizzle]

As an aside, who volunteers to ask Lambo at the Dinner why we and OU are not BFF anymore?

I don't know that much about volleyball, but my initial guess would be something like: 3-0, 3-0, 3-0, 3-2, 3-1. 5-0 at 15-3. Like I said, just a guess as I don't really know volleyball.

[flyingMoose]

I don't know that much about volleyball, but my initial guess would be something like: 3-0, 3-0, 3-0, 3-2, 3-1. 5-0 at 15-3. Like I said, just a guess as I don't really know volleyball.

This, of course, is a real possibility. But back when Lambo did Chalk Talks, the story was that Coach Restrepo was enlightened enough to see the usefulness of scheduling nearby opponents to help RPIs regardless of the results. (Unlike KU and K-State.) Maybe 5-0 over five years will "unenlighten" you.

OU did beat Arkansas, our "replacement," 3-0 in Norman last year. For us, I think Creighton is the program that is filling that role now. At least they came to our tournament last year, and we are going to their tournament this year.

[WuShock16]

The Sooners did get some revenge in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, sweeping us, each game worsening. Watching Hoop cry after that match was beyond painful.

That was also the night I officially met @WuDrWu:. It's all been downhill since then. HAHA!

[WuDrWu]

The Sooners did get some revenge in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, sweeping us, each game worsening. Watching Hoop cry after that match was beyond painful.

That was also the night I officially met @WuDrWu:. It's all been downhill since then. HAHA!

Watching the Shocks compete WITHOUT Sarah McGee, seeing Hooper cry her eyes out, meeting @WuShock16:......yeah, I've had better days as well.

[flyingMoose]

Lead note in Sully's Sunday column is about volleyball scheduling - comments straight from Lambo.

[1972Shocker]

Northern Iowa is in somewhat the same position as the Shocks as they play in 3 good tournaments on the road. However, they do have 2 individual non-con home matches. One with Northern Illinois and one with Iowa State.

Last year they played Iowa State, Green Bay in a doubleheader and South Dakota State at home.

The last time UNI hosted a tournament was in 2011 and it was a good field with Kansas, St. Louis and Minnesota.

KU and K-State continue to show their stripes regarding scheduling the Shocks in what should be a slam dunk. The fan interest in in these matches when they are played has been outstanding. Of course, they see what happened to OU. OTOH, I don't think playing the Shockers did anything to OU to hurt their post-season opportunities.

I plan on making at least one road trip this year to see the Shocks.

[SPEShockAlum]

A trip to Omaha may be in the works for my 30th birthday - some Shocker volleyball and friends. We shall see....

[1972Shocker]

Missouri Valley Volleyball Schedules:

Grading of Non-Conference Schedules:

Wichita State, UNI and SIU have good, solid non-conference schedules. MSU is perhaps just a notch behind those three. I see K-State is willing to play at SIU and home against MSU.

Illinois State, Bradley and Loyola have OK, but not RPI-building schedules with Evansville maybe being just a notch below those three.

Drake and Indiana State play what look to be weak schedules. Perhaps commensurate with the level of their squads.

[JayJ79]

Lead note in Sully's Sunday column is about volleyball scheduling - comments straight from Lambo.

heh, the Waterloo/Cedar Falls paper has a sports columnist nicknamed "Sully" too (I suppose that's not exactly rare, but anyway).

Help may arrive from the MVC. The conference is considering a proposal to open up a fourth weekend for non-conference tournament play by moving a small number of MVC matches to mid-week.

I hadn't heard anything about this. To me, what would make the most sense would possibly be moving the travel-partner matches to midweek. that would open up another weekend or two. And generally travel partners are within driving distance (by design). WSU (and MSU) would kind of get the short end of the stick with that one, since Wichita/Springfield is the longest distance between (current) MVC travel partners (plus both schools tend to have competitive VB teams most years, which isn't as much the case with other pairs), but it might be worth it to have more flexibility in non-conf scheduling.

[Cdizzle]

I see K-State is willing to play at SIU and home against MSU.

These are the sort of things I notice way more than the basketball scheduling where there is lots of publicity and potential risk. It's pretty clear WSU is trending in the direction of the best athletic department in the state, and those that are getting passed are none too willing to let it be demonstrated.