Last year, Wichita State volleyball won the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The team that takes the court Saturday to open the 2024 season will look a little different than that squad.
At least one player thinks this year’s roster, despite losing a multitude of point-scoring talent, could be better than last year’s.
“I think we have really gritty people,” redshirt senior middle blocker Morgan Stout said. “People who want to compete, people who have the mindset of, they want to smash the ball down people’s throat.”
Fresh off their first national championship trophy in program history and the team’s most wins since 2017, WSU’s roster lost a lot of talent via graduation, the transfer portal and injury.
The biggest loss statistically was blocker Natalie Foster, who transferred to Southern Methodist University after a career-best year that saw her lead the team in points and kills. Foster also led the American Athletic Conference in hitting percentage en route to a first team all-conference nod.
Last season’s other first team all-conference player, opposite Sophia Rohling, graduated after finishing second on the team in points and kills and third in hitting percentage.
Outside hitters Brylee Kelly, Morgan Weber and Barbara Koehler also departed after playing key roles last year, representing a major void in the team’s attack.
Stout, who ranked second on the team in hitting percentage last year, returns to anchor the front line, along with junior outside hitter Emerson Wilford, who played some of her best games near the end of conference play and in the NIVC run.
Last year’s AAC assist leader, fifth-year setter Izzi Strand, will set up the attackers while scoring some points herself.
Head coach Chris Lamb pointed out redshirt junior outside hitter Brooklyn Leggett and fifth-year middle blocker Sarah Barham as players who could step up and provide more point-scoring production.
Leggett played in eight sets last year, while Barham is a transfer acquisition from Wofford College, where she ranks second in program history in blocks and hitting percentage.
“Sarah Barham is right now a leading candidate as the other middle, and we think we figured out how to get her on the scoreboard,” Lamb said. “… Brooklyn, as a left side player or a right side player, I think has the ability to have kill percentage on her side.”
The changes in personnel might require a switch in WSU’s playing style, which Lamb said might shift from a slow-paced attacking team to a faster, defensively-oriented one.
“It may not be that we get as many points,” Lamb said. “We may have to win just (by) being better at defense and outlasting people. And we’ve been there before, so we’re still searching for points, but we’re not expecting that we will always have enough. We would have to win (in) other ways.”
Stout remained optimistic about the team’s scoring. Between herself, Wilford, Barham and Leggett, she said she’s “more than confident” they can stay strong on the attack.
“As long as we can maintain those connections with Izzi and getting our sets and routes done and our rows and the rotations and stuff figured out, I think we will be unstoppable,” Stout said.
Defensively, Lamb said the team’s digs leader last year, junior libero Gabi Maas, is still recovering from an ACL injury that will keep her out until at least late November. With returning liberos junior Katie Galligan and senior Annalie Heliste on the roster, along with the “ascension” of sophomore Reagan Anderson, Lamb said he felt no need to rush Maas back.
“She (Maas) was libero one, with all things considered, passing and digging, and so that hurt,” Lamb said. “But I do feel like we have good depth there. Katie and Annalie have had a lot of time on the floor. Both have had good springs. And I mentioned … Reagan Anderson. She’s definitely been somebody who’s made an impact from spring till now.”
10 freshmen are on the 2024 roster, while five were on last year’s. Lamb, who prioritizes talent over skill in recruiting, said he wouldn’t be surprised if some of the other newcomers made a difference.
“They’re talented, and several of them have a skill set that works to their advantage in our lineup, in our rotation,” Lamb said.
With a younger squad, Stout, who describes herself as an “emotional leader of the team,” said the returning players have emphasized a culture of accountability.
“That’s what’s going to make us different from really good teams, and make us (a) great team compared to them, if everyone’s giving their all every single day,” Stout said. “Just having that mindset is going to differentiate the line between good and great. And this year I want us to be great.”
Stout said this year’s team has strong chemistry and plays physically on defense. In addition, she’s trying to impart the experience of playing big games in a national tournament to the new players.
“With winning like the NIVC , we’ve been put under pressure like that before, as an upper class, but the freshman class may not have gone through something like that before yet,” Stout said.
“So having that under your belt and experience and stuff like that really helps grow your team.”
Lamb kept his expectations for the season close to the vest, but he and Stout both said the team is in a strong position to compete for a conference championship.
“I don’t worry about what the media says or what polls say,” Lamb said. “I know what’s in front of me … a good year for these guys would be to be right in it and putting ourselves in a position to be conference champions in the regular season (or) in the tournament.”
The WSU volleyball season kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 24, when the team hosts Kansas State University in an exhibition game. The game is set to begin at 4 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.
