COVID-19 once again disrupts Wichita State volleyball season, plus more Shocker news
.JPG "Wichita State volleyball coach Chris Lamb announced on Wednesday evening that his team will pull out of this weekend’s tournament in South Dakota due to COVID-19 issues within the program.")
The Wichita State volleyball team has withdrawn from this weekend’s tournament hosted by South Dakota State in Brookings, S.D. due to “COVID-19-related issues within the program,” it was announced Wednesday evening.
An email to a spokesperson from the WSU athletic department was not immediately returned on Wednesday, although it has been the school’s policy to not discuss specifics concerning COVID-19-related news with its athletic programs.
The Shockers (3-0) were scheduled to play California Baptist and Montana on Friday, then South Dakota State on Saturday.
None of the three other programs — Arkansas State, Tennessee Martin or Missouri State — that WSU competed against last weekend in Jonesboro, Arkansas have been shut down for COVID-19 issues as of Wednesday evening.
The Shockers’ 8-0 start to the spring season earlier this year was derailed by players in and out of COVID-19 protocol, as the team lost eight of its final nine matches to the season.
It was not immediately clear if WSU will be able to compete in next weekend’s tournament in Lawrence hosted by Kansas. Next on WSU’s schedule would be its home tournament, the Shocker Volleyball Classic, hosted on Sept. 17-18.
Former Shocker picks up medal in the Paralympic Games
Deja Young-Craddock, a former Wichita State track and field sprinter who graduated in 2018, won the bronze medal in the women’s T47 100-meter dash earlier this week at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Young-Craddock, a two-time Paralympian who took home two gold medals at the 2016 Rio Games, finished the race in a season-best time of 12.21 seconds. The 25-year-old will also compete in the T47 200-meter race on Saturday.
Brittni Mason, Young-Craddock’s teammate on Team USA, won the silver medal in a time of 11.97 seconds.
“Iron sharpens iron and we’re here making history for the Paralympics for the USA,” Young-Craddock told reporters afterward. “There have never been two women from my class, let alone two women of color from my class to do something phenomenal like this, so I think it’s only up from here.”
Women’s basketball announces non-conference schedule
A pair of Big 12 opponents are the marquee matchups in the WSU women’s basketball team’s non-conference schedule, which was released on Wednesday.
The first game of the season for a WSU team that returns all five starters and 92% of its scoring from last season is slated for Thursday, Nov. 4 against Missouri Southern State in an exhibition game at Koch Arena with the regular-season opener coming on Tuesday, Nov. 9 against Chicago State at home.
But the notable games on the schedule fall at the end of the non-conference slate, just when the Shockers are preparing to enter American Athletic Conference play. WSU will host Kansas in a Sunflower rivalry game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 21, then travel to Oklahoma to conclude its non-conference slate for a game on Wednesday, Dec. 29.
Other home games at Koch Arena for WSU include Prairie View A&M (Nov. 23), Alcorn State (Nov. 26), Northwestern State (Nov. 29), Oral Roberts (Dec. 1) and Grambling State (Dec. 11).
The Shockers will go on the road several times throughout November and December with all games being bus-able. WSU will play three road games in the span of a week in November, beginning with a road trip to Wyoming on Nov. 13, then a road game at Denver on Nov. 15 and the finale at former Missouri Valley rival Northern Iowa on Nov. 20. WSU will also travel to South Dakota on Dec. 4 and to North Texas on Dec. 17.
WSU fans can purchase season tickets through www.goshockers.com/tickets or by calling the WSU ticket office at 316-978-3267.
Cross country team to host annual home meet on Saturday
The Wichita State cross country team will open its season by hosting the 73rd annual J.K. Gold Classic at 4 Mile Creek Resort in Augusta on Saturday.
The men’s 6-kilometer race will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the women’s 5-kilometer race following at approximately 9 a.m.
The WSU women’s team is led by a pair of seniors who are also returning all-conference runners in Yazmine Wright, a Hutchinson native, and McKenna Paintin. The men’s team also has a returning all-conference runner in sophomore Jed Helker.
Softball team sets date for dinner and auction
The annual dinner and auction hosted by the WSU softball team has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Aetna Multi-Purpose Facility.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. beginning with a cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by a dinner provided by Stroud’s, a live auction and program. Individual tickets are $40 and tables, which include eight tickets, are $250 and can be purchased at www.goshockers.com/tickets or by calling the WSU ticket office at 316-978-3267.
Wichita State women’s basketball non-conference schedule
Thursday, Nov. 4 — Missouri Southern State (exhibition, 6 p.m.)
Tuesday, Nov. 9 — Chicago State (12 p.m.)
Saturday, Nov. 13 — at Wyoming
Monday, Nov. 15 — at Denver
Saturday, Nov. 20 — at Northern Iowa
Tuesday, Nov. 23 — Prairie View A&M (6 p.m.)
Friday, Nov. 26 — Alcorn State
Monday, Nov. 29 — Northwestern State (6 p.m.)
Wednesday, Dec. 1 — Oral Roberts (6 p.m.)
Saturday, Dec. 4 — at South Dakota
Saturday, Dec. 11 — Grambling State (2 p.m.)
Friday, Dec. 17 — at North Texas
Tuesday, Dec. 21 — Kansas (6 p.m.)
Wednesday, Dec. 29 — at Oklahoma
This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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