Wichita State guard Bijan Cortes joins the podcast to talk about Sunday’s exhibition win and how the Shockers are changing their defensive approach. We discuss building a connection with center Quincy Ballard on lobs and why that play is exciting. We also talk about why he wears No. 55, why college athletes are paying more attention to their clothes and which Shocker might win a game of HORSE. The Shockers open the season at Western Kentucky on Monday at 7 p.m. The home opener is Nov. 9 against Montana State at 6 p.m.
Get set for the next week at your favorite Shocker venue with the Shocker Calendar podcast, the fastest five minutes in daily planning. Basketball gets started, volleyball is home on Sunday and the AAC will decide its cross country champion in Wichita on Friday. All that, plus promotions, ticket specials, Shocker trivia and Shocker history.
Join President Muma when he talks with Bobby Gandu, Wichita State’s associate vice president of Strategic Enrollment Management and applied learning, and director of admissions. As part of his role, Bobby oversees the Shocker Career Accelerator, which just moved into its permanent home inside the brand-new Milly Marcus Annex.
The “Forward Together” podcast celebrates the vision and mission of Wichita State University. In each episode, President Rick Muma will talk with guests from throughout Shocker Nation to highlight the people and priorities that guide WSU on its road to becoming an essential educational, cultural, and economic driver for Kansas and the greater good.
Wichita State junior pitcher Caleb Anderson talks about fall scrimmages and teammates to watch in the five-game fall series. We also talk about his journey from football punter who planned to play for Vanderbilt to college pitcher and how he kept a positive attitude during tough times.
Wichita State’s Salese Blow joins the podcast to talk about following up on standout freshman season. She discusses the origins of her nickname, why she stuck with WSU after a coaching change, and her impressions of freshman KP Parr as defensive pest. We also dive into her basketball family and how it goes when she critiques her mom’s work as a college and NBA G League referee.
Wichita State pitchers Nick Potter and James Umbarger give us a look into their first months at a new university and new baseball program. They talk about their roots in baseball and their journey to Wichita State. Both are former catchers, so we discuss how playing that position helps them on the mound. They reveal their best days fishing and Potter shares his story about the bass that escaped. Potter is a transfer from Crowder (Mo.) College. Umbarger is a freshman from Lansing High School.
In a bonus episode, we talk with former Arizona coach Dave Rubio about Shocker volleyball coach Chris Lamb and his coaching roots. Lamb, entering his 25th season at Wichita State, met Rubio as a club coach in California and formed a friendship. Lamb coached as an assistant under Rubio for two seasons at Arizona before taking the job at WSU in 1999. We talk about Lamb’s love of statistics, why he chose to start his coaching career at Wichita State and why other jobs didn’t lure him away. Rubio discusses how his mentorship helped guide Lamb, why he compares Lamb to Tom Landry and how he adopted some of Lamb’s”birdbrain ideas.” We also dig into their shared love of cars and the coaching text thread filled with volleyball discussions.
Voice of the Shockers Mike Kennedy and Tami Cutler, of strategic communications, join the podcast to reminisce about volleyball coach Chris Lamb as he enters his 25th season at Wichita State. We discuss Lamb’s passion for teaching the sport, educating fans and using baseball analogies. We talk about the first NCAA team in 2004, the 2017 AAC champions and NCAA hosts and why Lamb possessed the ability to turn Shocker volleyball into a force. Mike and Tami go through some of their favorite teams and do their best to pick their All-Lambo lineups. The Shockers open their home schedule vs. Cal Poly on Thursday in the Shocker Volleyball Classic.
Coach Kristi Bredbenner helps us celebrate ground-breaking on the indoor practice facility at Wilkins Stadium (10:30 a.m., Sept 14) with a description of the new building, why it is needed and the timeline for construction. We also talk about the rise in softball’s popularity and how WSU’s success set the groundwork for fundraising. Bredbenner updates us on fall practices, Lauren Lucas’ return and newcomers to watch. We also remember Phyllis Diller’s appearance at Wilkins Stadium’s groundbreaking in 1997 and muse about possible celebrity appearances on Saturday. The Shockers open their fall scrimmages against McLennan (Texas) Community College at 1 p.m. Saturday. How to donate.
Wichita State volleyball assistant coaches Katie Zimmerman and Ashleigh Houlton join the podcast to preview the season. We talk about the scrimmage against Kansas State, their thoughts on the AAC adopting a conference tournament and the rule change on double hits. We also discuss newcomer Sarah Barham and her play as a middle blocker, Emerson Wilford’s increasing role in the offense and Morgan Stout’s rise as a scorer in the middle. The Shockers open the season on Friday at Kennesaw State. Their first home match is on Sept. 19 vs. Cal Poly to open the Shocker Volleyball Classic.
