MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016
www.thesunflower.com
PAGE 11| SPORTS
Local places on, off campus give students the chance to catch the action GRANT COHEN @gforce4preach
SPORTS EDITOR
The Missouri Valley’s contract with ESPN3 allows Shocker fans to catch a majority of the road sporting events online. However, some of Wichita State students find another way to cheer on the black and yellow. When WSU travels on the road, students go to sports bars or find an electrifying venue on campus. Junior Ryan Siebuhr said when he and his friends want to watch a game, they go to local restaurants such as Deanos, Jerseys, The Fieldhouse, Fox and Hound and Pumphouse. Along with having a quality meal, Siebuhr enjoys being surrounded by avid Shocker fans for an enjoyable experience. “When I go out to watch a game, I want to be able to eat some good food,” Siebuhr said. “Usually those places are very hyped up in food and environment.” Wichita State students involved in social organizations often host game watch parties on game days. Sophomore Maddie Hall attends the fraternity Phi Delta Theta’s watch parties with her friends and sorority sisters. Phi Delta Theta provides food and drinks when hosting, while the guests bring desserts and watch the event on a projector. “Everyone just sits in chairs or on the floor and watches the games together,” Hall said. “Being with all your fellow Shockers and rooting for the same team is fun.” Hall said she goes to restaurants to watch the road games when her sorority is not having a watch party. Preferring the
private setting, Hall said she likes watching it better with her sorority sisters because she knows more people. “In public there’s people you don’t know all around you,” Hall said. “In a private party, you usually know most of the people you’re with. (Delta’s parties) are always a good time.” When invited by friends, senior Joe Stroud takes advantage of watching WSU road games in the Shocker Sports Bar and Grill in the basement of the Rhatigan Student Center. However, Stroud’s favorite place to watch WSU games is Bubba’s restaurant. Directly across the street from the Towne East Square mall and Rusty Eck Ford, Bubba’s allows Stroud to shop or run an errand before the start of the game. “Bubba’s restaurant is an excellent place to watch Shocker games,” Stroud said. “I watched all the NCAA Tournament games we were in with the Shocker Faithful over there.” Bubba’s provides game day savings for WSU students who show their Shocker ID, allowing a certain percentage to be taken off of their bill. Along with the fast and efficient service, Stroud mostly enjoys the food and the laid-back atmosphere the restaurant provides. “The burgers are the absolute best,” Stroud said. “It’s an amazing space to sit with friends and watch the Shocker game.” WSU students go to hundreds of different locations locally to watch the games, with many enjoying the action from the comfort of their home. When the black and yellow gets in gear, local fans enjoy from all over.
WSU continues tradition of free student tickets NICK BEACH
REPORTER
@nickbeach1
Wichita State sold out every home men’s basketball game in Charles Koch Arena during the 2015-2016 season, including a packed out student section for senior day against Illinois State in the home finale. Senior point guard Fred VanVleet shined as the main attraction of that game, scoring 16 points and making nine assists in the final game of his career in the Roundhouse. Once again for the 2016-2017 season, WSU athletics has elected to give out 1,000 free student tickets a home game on a first come, first serve basis. The two main locations to acquire student tickets are the WSU bookstore, inside the Rhatigan Student Center, and the ticket office at Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday. The Heskett Center will also give out a limited number of tickets. The tickets accommodate the large top-to-bottom sections 116 and 117 from behind the basket of the road bench side of the venue. Students may also buy a guest ticket for an additional $12. Free tickets have been an opportunity to bring the student community together for several years now, as WSU has remained a perennial NCAA Tournament threat. “I love (the free tickets),” senior Aubrey Chinberg said. “I went to all the games my freshman and sophomore year. “I was the one that would wait out in the cold. I loved to go to games. I was a superfan.” This season, student tickets will be distributed using the same system as they were last season, according to the WSU bookstore. For the 2015-2016
season, the majority of tickets were released at 8 a.m. eight days prior to the game. For example, tickets would release on a Monday for a game on a Tuesday night the following week. Tickets would release on a Friday morning for a game on Saturday the following week. “I absolutely love (the ticket selling system),” junior Danielle Miller said. “(Basketball) is one of the best qualities about WSU and it’s really a great way to bring the student community together.” Although many students have a busy schedule throughout the year, getting free basketball tickets has been a fun way for them to have some time off. “I went to about half the games (last year),” Miller said. “My school and work life kind of took over, but I definitely take advantage when I get the opportunity.” Some students say that dedication is necessary to attend all the games and sit in the student section. “I find it reasonable because students who are dedicated to get in line early deserve to be rewarded,” junior Jesse Oliver said. Freshman and other new students always seem to fill the seats. “I took advantage of (free tickets) all the time when I was younger,” Chinberg said. “I thought it was a great system. I think it’s a great way to get students to go to games and get it full.” Student tickets to all other WSU athletic events are available at the Charles Koch Arena box office at no charge with a valid Shocker ID. Baseball tickets are available at Eck Stadium on game days.
File photo by Evan Pflugradt
Dani Mostrom returns for her senior season as the 2015 MVC Libero of the Year.
Shocker volleyball riding NCAA momentum from 2015 GRANT COHEN @gforce4preach
SPORTS EDITOR
Wichita State volleyball is coming off another successful season in 2015, posting a 27-9 record after the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championship. The Shockers continued the team’s hot streak in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round with a win over Kansas State. Wichita State ended the 2015 season with a second round exit in the NCAA tournament, losing to the eventual National Champion, Nebraska. While the loss ended the Shocker’s season, returning players for 2016 took a more positive approach from that game. “We learned that we are good and we can play with those teams,” junior setter Emily Hiebert said. “We just have to keep working hard to get there.” Having received 21 votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll, WSU comes into the 2016 season as the favorite to win a second straight MVC Championship. The Shockers return nine letterwinners and five starters from last season, including 2015 First Team All-Valley selections Hiebert and junior middle blocker Abbie Lehman. Hiebert averaged 10.43 assists, 0.26 aces and 2.23 digs a set, while
Lehman led the conference with a hitting percentage of .423. An honorable mention All-American selection, Lehman, finished the year averaging 2.97 kills and 1.11 blocks a set in 2015. “When you have experience and success, it plays into your confidence,” head coach Chris Lamb said. “(Hiebert and Lehman) have seen a lot and accomplished a lot.” The 2015 MVC Libero of the Year, Dani Mostrom returns for her final year at WSU. Mostrom hit .500 with five kills and 130 assists in 2015, adding 16 service aces and leading the Shockers with 590 digs. Senior outside hitter Jody Larson gives the Shockers more scoring depth up front, with Larson coming up with 213 kills and 329 digs last season. After winning the 2015 MVC tournament MVP, Larson came up with 14 digs and seven kills in the NCAA Tournament win over K-State. “We’re not taking a step back from where we were last year,” Lehman said. “We can start from where we ended and move forward to get better and better.” The Shockers have added transfers and freshmen who will play a key part into this year’s team, Lamb said. Sophomore outside hitter Tabitha Brown comes into her first year at WSU after spending one season at the University of Alabama, scoring off of a 161 kills and 19 service aces
during her freshman year. From Milan, Italy, freshman Giorgia Civita has been playing great defense for the Shockers in practice, according to Lamb. Civita earned Best Libero of Italy for two years and intends to build from the overseas success for this year’s team. “We’re tuning up what we’re good at, but still trying to develop,” Lamb said. “(Developing) is still part of our manufacturing plan.” The Shockers play a total of eight teams who made the NCAA tournament in 2015, including three MVC opponents and the National Runner-up Texas on Sept. 10. Along with the second ranked Longhorns, the Shockers face top 25 poll members Creighton and Colorado State to add to its non-conference schedule. “You have 28 play dates, and we hope that those 28 are good for our résumé,” Lamb said. “They give you what they give you in conference, so hopefully your non-conference is good. Your relatives are your relatives, but you can pick your friends and hopefully you pick good ones.” The season starts for the Shockers on Friday with a match against Iowa State in the Iowa State Challenge at 6:30 p.m. WSU then plays No. 18 Creighton at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Both games are in Ames. The first home game is at 7 p.m. on Sept. 2 in Charles Koch Arena.
Wichita State University is seeking comments about the University in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency. The University will host a visit October 10–11, 2016, with a team representing the Higher Learning Commission. Wichita State University has been accredited by HLC since 1927. The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. Interested parties are invited to submit comments regarding the university to the following address: Public Comment on Wichita State University Higher Learning Commission 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604-1411 The public may also submit comments on HLC’s website at www.hlcommission.org/comment Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing. All comments must be received by September 12, 2016.