"This group just fits our needs so incredibly well," Hudson opened. "We desperately need more help on the outside and these are three kids that can all play the outside hitter position if we need them to, and it's a really great combination of athleticism and skill and I think the three of them collectively will bring a lot to the table in 2019."
PAIGE BRIGGS // ORTONVILLE, MICH. // HOME SCHOOL/LAKE ORION H.S. // OUTSIDE HITTER
Paige Briggs, a native of Ortonville, Mich., divided her prep career between home school studies during which she played for Oxford High School and Lake Orion High School. Briggs reached the 1,000-kill milestone during her two seasons at Lake Orion and led her team in the category three-consecutive years. A three-time All-Region selection, Briggs was also named Second-Team All-State her last two campaigns. She was named Under Armor All-American honorable mention in 2018 and made an appearance on the Junior Volleyball Association watch list in 2016-17. Briggs also received a bid to West Coast Junior Olympics for beach volleyball, and the following year finished third in AVP Women's Open Division beach volleyball. The outside hitter was among the top 10 players in the state of Michigan as a Miss Volleyball Finalist in 2018.
Paige is the daughter of Pete and Pam Briggs and has an older brother, Peter.
Why she chose WKU – "I chose WKU because of the amazing coaches and players that made me feel like this was the right school for me."
Hudson on Briggs – "Paige is a kid that I think will impact us the most immediately. She is a six-rotation outside - she reminds me of Jordyn Skinner - who was an All-American outside here. She is a great player offensively, but she's also a tremendous defensive player who can probably even serve as a libero. She's a kid that helps you in so many ways and is a player that the 2018 version of WKU Volleyball could really use. We're excited about getting her in here, she's a kid that every time we go see her, she continues to get better and better."
AVRI DAVIS // SPRING HILL, TENN. // SUMMIT H.S. // MIDDLE HITTER
Avri Davis is set to join WKU Volleyball from Spring Hill, Tenn., after earning seven letters across volleyball and basketball from Summit High School. Davis recorded a successful prep career that saw her amass more than 1,000 kills in addition to becoming the all-time blocks leader at her high school. Davis was named a PrepVolleyball Senior Ace, listing her as one of the top 100 recruits in the 2019 class. Additionally, she was a 2017 Tennessean finalist and the Volleyball Player of the Year. A two-time All-State selection, Davis was a three-time selection to the All-Tournament, All-District and All-Mid State teams during her prep career. Davis also excelled on the club courts, helping the Alliance Volleyball Club 18-1 to the 2018 USA Volleyball Girls' 18s Junior National Championship.
Avri is the daughter of Willie and Veronica Davis and has three older siblings, William, Kristina and Vincent.
Why she chose WKU – "Every interaction with the players and coaches left me optimistic about the great experience that is WKU."
Hudson on Davis – "Avri's the signee that may have the biggest future ahead of her of them all. She is a spectacular athlete and will remind a lot of Lady Topper fans of Lauren Matthews in that, from a physical standpoint, she's not a huge kid, but she has incredible bounce off the ground. Avri's a kid that plays middle in high school and she could certainly continue to be a middle hitter here, but also could transition to either pin, much like an Alyssa Cavanaugh or a Sydney Engle type player. She's a kid that we don't necessarily have slotted into a certain role yet, but is probably the kid out of the entire group that has the greatest potential to help us at any of the three positions at the net. She's an exciting athlete; she's a really bright kid, and we think has only scratched the surface as to what she'll become."
JENNIFER RUSH // GRANVILLE, OHIO // GRANVILLE H.S. // OUTSIDE HITTER
Jennifer Rush joins WKU Volleyball from Granville, Ohio, where she collected four varsity letters and served as captain for two years. The outside hitter helped her team make it to the regional finals in 2017 and was awarded Most Improved Player on her varsity squad three years straight. Rush has received First-Team All-LCL recognition and earned Second-Team All-District status from 2017-18. During her final season with the Blue Aces Rush was tabbed All-State honorable mention.
Jennifer is the daughter of Gerald and Angela Rush and has three older siblings, Andrew, Alex, and Austin. Her brother Austin played basketball at Capital University in Ohio.
Why she chose WKU – "On my visit, I absolutely loved the coaches and the team; the campus is beautiful and it felt like home."
Hudson on Rush – "Jen is a kid that we got on a little bit late in the recruiting process. We feel like she's one of those 'slipped through the cracks' kids. She actually came to our camp last summer. She's had to play middle hitter a lot throughout her club career when she's more naturally a pin player. Another really terrific athlete - touching 10 feet - and gives us a lot of things that we don't necessarily have on our roster currently. She's the one that the recruiting process was probably the shortest with, but we're no less excited about her than we are either of the other two. Jen's a kid that's a pretty special athlete and I think has a real drive to become a great player."
How to Follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on WKU Volleyball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUVolleyball and head coach Travis Hudson at @TravisHudsonWKU.
