The Basics
Drake volleyball has earned another opportunity to continue their impressive run. The Bulldogs will be the road team for the first time in the tournament, as they will be taking on the Wichita State Shockers in the Great 8 of the 2023 NIVC Tournament.
Match Information
The match is set for 6:30 PM on Wednesday, December 6th. The match will be hosted in Wichita, Kansas, in the Shocker's home, Charles Koch Arena.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake is now 24-10 overall record and posted a 14-4 mark in league play so far this season. The Bulldogs recently went 1-1 at the MVC Tournament with a 3-0 sweep of UIC to avenge two earlier losses and a dramatic 3-2 defeat to No. 1 seed UNI in the league title match. After a 1-1 finish in the MVC Tournament, including a five set defeat to No. 1 UNI in the league championship, the Bulldogs are 2-0, with 3-0 wins against Chicago State and DePaul.
Senior defensive specialist
Jada Wills earned the MVC Libero of the Year award and currently boasts a league-high 723 digs and average of 5.78 digs per set.
Kacie Rewerts is also a defensive standout with 179 total blocks, the second-most in The Valley.
Wills was joined on the All-MVC First Team by hitter
Taylor Oberpriller and
Haley Bush. Oberpriller leads Drake with 478 kills, with Bush's 425 the second-most. Elsewhere, setter
Addison Beagle has dished out 1,042 assists and has the second-most Bulldogs aces, with 28.
Haley Bush is the leader, with 29.
Scouting Wichita State
The Wichita State Shockers have enjoyed a successful 2023 campaign thus far with a record of 23-8, including a 15-4 record in AAC competition. The Shockers enjoyed a 5-2 November before entering the NIVC Tournament, where they defeated Arkansas State 3-0 and Tulsa 3-1.
The Wichita State offense is led by a two-headed monster of Sophia Rohling (333 kills) and Natalie Foster (331 kills). Izzi Strand leads the team in assists with 1,234, which is good for the third most in the AAC. Defensively, Gabi Maas leads the team with 454 digs while Natalie Foster and Morgan Stout have each contributed with 114 blocks and 110 blocks, respectively.
Head Coach Chris Lamb is in year 24 at Wichita State and entered the season with an impressive career record of 482-228, the most wins for any coach in the AAC.
This will be the 60th meeting in the history of these two programs, and the first meeting since 2016. All-time, the Bulldogs are 11-48 against Wichita State, and have not defeated the Shockers since 1999.
Up Next
The victor of this match will advance to the NIVC Fab 4 and will take on the winner of Montana State and Wyoming. Time and location are TBD, and the game will take place between December 7-10. Following that contest is the Championship, which will be between December 10-12.
