In high school, Wichita-area volleyball standouts Gracie Morrow and Allie Paulsen only met across the net. The stakes were high, the matches heated, and neither side wanted to give an inch.
Now, the once-rivals wear the same jersey for Wichita State, teaming up to turn that competitive fire into success for the Shockers.
“I think this rivalry is one of the most competitive matches that I always played in high school,” Paulsen, an Andover Central graduate, said. “They were not in our direct league, but we would always play against Maize South to go to state, and those matches were super intense and competitive. It’s just great volleyball.”
Morrow, who graduated from Maize South, agreed that those rivalry matches carried extra weight, recalling how facing each other often came with high stakes, like having to win in order to advance to state.
The rivalry didn’t end even when the high school season did. Both athletes played for Shockwave Volleyball Club, where practices and scrimmages pitted them against one another often.
Paulsen recalled how, despite being older, her team often practiced with Morrow’s to make workouts more competitive, spending three nights a week together for three years. What began as a rivalry, with Paulsen determined to outperform Morrow, eventually grew into a friendship that has carried into their college careers.
By the time Morrow, now a sophomore outside hitter, committed to Wichita State, Paulsen, a middle blocker, was already on the roster. This set the stage for the former rivals to become teammates.
“I remember seeing (her) commitment post,” Paulsen said about Morrow. “I already knew I was coming here, and I was like, ‘This is great!’”
Morrow remembers Paulsen being one of the first to welcome her.
“She offered to host me and some of the other freshmen last year,” Morrow said. “Through that, we got to hang out a ton and talk a ton right off the bat, which was awesome.”
Both players said their senior years of high school volleyball helped prepare them for the leap to the collegiate level.
“For me, senior season was a lot of fun,” Morrow said. “It was kind of like our last hurrah together at state that year, and getting to go out with a bang was awesome. Our team culture senior year was great, and it got me excited for college volleyball.”
Paulsen’s role shifted in her final season of high school, however. She expanded her game by covering more positions on the court.
“Up until that point I was a middle blocker, but my senior year I got to play all around,” she said. “That year prepared me the most for college because I got to work on all my skills and keep myself super well-rounded.”
Still, they both agreed the transition wasn’t easy. Morrow called her freshman year at Wichita State an “eye-opener.”
Morrow admitted that adjusting to the college level came with challenges, noting how the game moves faster and the mental side can be just as demanding. She emphasized the importance of staying positive and remembering the purpose behind being there, even when things aren’t easy.
Paulsen, who redshirted her first season, echoed those struggles, explaining that while no one can fully prepare you for the transition, leaning on teammates, working hard in practice, and learning to support from the sidelines helped her push through and ultimately grow.
As the 2025–26 season takes shape, both players are focused on team goals.
“We want that tournament win again,” Paulsen said, referring to the Shockers’ American Conference title run. “We want to win that conference outright. We want to minimize conference losses and be super dominant. We want to take what’s ours, and we’re going to hang another banner.”
But for both athletes, success goes beyond wins and banners.
“Being good teammates is just as big a deal as it is on the court,” Morrow said. “We love each other, and it’s rare. All of us really care so much for each other and that’s really special.”
Off the court, both are already shaping the future of the sport in Wichita by coaching youth volleyball.
“Getting to be involved with the younger girls and seeing them come to games is what it’s all about,” Morrow said. “It’s not just a sport — you build bonds that are unbreakable.”
Local girls who once competed as rivals, Morrow and Paulsen now represent something bigger: hometown athletes working together to elevate the Shockers and inspire the next generation.
“We want to show other girls in the area to show that you can play college volleyball right here in your hometown and make a difference,” Paulsen said. “And more importantly, have fun.”
