Sept. 29, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University volleyball team remained unbeaten in Sun Belt Conference play with a 3-0 (15-1, 15-6, 15-2) rout of North Texas Friday night at the Snake Pit in Denton, Texas. The Lady Toppers also set a school record with their 15th win in the month of September and extended their winning streak to a season-high six matches.
Senior defensive specialist Beaven Hill (Louisville, Ky./Assumption HS) sparkled at the service line, tying the school record with nine aces. Junior left-side hitter Tara Thomas (Louisville, Ky./Assumption HS) was equally punishing, recording a match-high 16 kills and posting a .714 hitting percentage, the second-highest mark in school history. As a team, WKU rang up a season-high 14 service aces and allowed only nine points, the fewest markers by a conference opponent since Jacksonville had eight points on Oct 12, 1991.
Western kept UNT (6-8, 0-3) on its heels from the outset, scoring the first five points of the match, three coming on aces by Hill. The Lady Eagles scored to briefly stop the Lady Topper run, but WKU answered with the last 10 points of the period to win the game going away. All told, 13 of the Lady Toppers' 15 points in game one came with Hill on serve.
The second frame started much like the first with Western opening up a 5-0 lead. North Texas countered well, tallying four of the next five markers to pull within 6-5. After a two-for-one exchange put the Lady Topper up by two, they closed out the second game with seven unanswered points, four coming on kills from Thomas.
Western's strong service game reappeared in game three, as Hill and sophomore setter Sara Noe (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) rifled two aces each to help the Lady Toppers build a 6-0 edge. Thomas added a pair of kills to force a UNT timeout at 11-2, and Hill finished off the Lady Eagles with two more aces in a game-ending four-point run.
Western Kentucky (15-3, 4-0) will have a week off before continuing its four-match road trip Friday (Oct. 6) at 7 p.m. at defending Sun Belt co-champion Arkansas State.
-- WKU --
