Good morning! After a late addition to the Shocker men’s basketball roster, the team needed someone to sacrifice their own scholarship. Read about why senior and returning starter, Harlond Beverly, volunteered to become a walk-on.

What else are we mixing into today’s edition of the Shocker Brew?

🎳 Shockers ready for its inaugural tournament
🎾 Women’s tennis recap
🌾 ​ And much, much more!

🌾 ONE BIG THING

The Shockers open their bowling season on Friday in the Penguin Classic at the Holiday Bowl in Struthers, Ohio. It is WSU's first competition as an NCAA program (the NCAA does not sponsor men's bowling) after joining the athletic department on July 1. It is all new – travel, competition, branding and advanced information – except for the essence of the game for Wichita State women's bowling.

🗣️ "We're still throwing bowling balls down a lane, trying to knock as many pins over as we can. I keep reminding myself and the girls." - Holly Harris, head coach

The history of the day is important for one of the nation's storied programs. The Shockers joined the NCAA after a long campaign to elevate the women's program back among other top programs that gradually moved to the NCAA since 2004.

📚️ Read more about the Shockers’ first tournament as members of the NCAA

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Found Success. Shocker women’s tennis has been competing at the ITA Central Region Championships this week and has found success on the court. A pair of duos in Xin Tong Wang and Kristina Kudryavtseva and Giorgia Roselli and Theodora Chantava secured wins on Thursday afternoon to move on to the doubles round of 32. In singles play, Xin Tong was came away with a straight-set victory to advance to the round of 32. Doubles play for the Shockers begins at 9 a.m. this morning while singles play is set to begin at 10 a.m.

🔼 Fresh New Faces. The Wichita State track and field 2023-24 signing class has hit the track at Cessna Stadium for fall training and looks to make a strong impact on the team's success this season. The Shockers signed 34 new student-athletes, including five distance/mid-distance runners, five multi-event athletes, nine throwers, five pole vaulters, three sprinters/hurdlers and seven jumpers. The incoming class also includes 10 high school state champions and a few of the top athletes in the nation in their respective events.

🏃 Read about some of the 34 new Shocker track and field student-athletes

🔼 Giddy Up. Four Shocker men's tennis players are set to travel to Oklahoma State's Greenwood Tennis Center to compete in the Cowboy Classic. Starting today, freshmen Ilias Worthington and Luca Mindrut, along with sophomores Vanja Hodzic and Arenui Luethi, will compete in some of the first action representing the Black and Gold. The quartet will face a very tough slate of opponents, as players from Oklahoma State, SMU, Tulsa, Oral Roberts, and Baylor will join the Shockers in Stillwater.

🎾 See the full slate of matches for the weekend

🔼 The Roundhouse Podcast. Wichita State women’s basketball’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 a defensive pest. The crew also dives into her basketball family and how it goes when she critiques her mom’s work as a college and NBA G League referee.

🎙️ Listen to the latest episode of the Roundhouse Podcast with Salese Blow

🤔 SHOCKER TRIVIA

Left A Legacy. Today’s trivia question…how many ITC Championships did Shocker women’s bowling win before making the jump to the NCAA?

Think you got it? Scroll down to see if you know your stuff!

🤝 SHARE THE BREW

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📆 LOOKING AHEAD

*All times CST

Friday, October 11
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITA Central Region Championships in Memphis, TN
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ Cowboy Classic in Stillwater, OK | Live Stats
🎳 Women’s Bowling @ Penguin Classic in Struthers, OH

Saturday, October 12
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITA Central Region Championships in Memphis, TN
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ Cowboy Classic in Stillwater, OK | Live Stats
🎳 Women’s Bowling @ Penguin Classic in Struthers, OH

Sunday, October 13
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ Cowboy Classic in Stillwater, OK | Live Stats
🎳 Women’s Bowling @ Penguin Classic in Struthers, OH
🏐 Volleyball vs. Florida Atlantic @ 1 p.m. in Wichita, KS | Tickets | ESPN+

🌾 Click here to see the full Wichita State Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: 11!

The Wichita State women's bowling program has been a national powerhouse in collegiate bowling for more than four decades. The Shockers have won a record 11 ITC national titles, most recently in 2024 when WSU defeated NCAA champion Jacksonville State.

🌾 Have a great weekend, y’all!