Within the free-flowing, circus-like highlights, volleyball is built on many small sequences that determine the direction of the ball and the result.
Shoulder position. Hand position. Arc of the volleyball. Bodies in the way.
Wichita State assistant coach Brian Hosfeld, in his first season with the Shockers, is working on decoding and solving those sequences. His knack for teaching individual defensive skills is part of the reason the Shockers are holding opponents to a .187 hitting percentage, third in the American Athletic Conference. In two conference matches, the Shockers held Temple and ECU to a combined .