“Our goal was to sign the best and most versatile athlete we could find, and Emily fits that perfectly,” said Lady Topper head coach Travis Hudson. “She’s a kid that I think can come in and fill any needs we may have. She’s a big, physical player that can play anywhere on the front row. The sky is really the limit for Emily as far as her potential.”
Teegarden was named the Most Valuable Player of the state tournament after leading the Nashville high school to a 51-5 record in 2006. A 6-foot-1 middle hitter, she earned all-state honors in 2005 after helping the Irish to the state semifinals, and was a member of the ‘05 all-region tournament squad. Teegarden spent three years at Father Ryan, playing for the Irish as a freshman, junior and senior. Prior to moving back to Nashville before her junior year, Teegarden had a standout season in Columbia, S.C. She earned all-state and all-region honors at Cardinal Newman High School in 2004, while also being named her team’s most valuable offensive player. In ‘04, she also helped lead her Impact Club team to a third-place finish nationally.
Also excelling on the basketball court, Teegarden has earned all-region honors in both Tennessee and South Carolina.
“I’m really excited about coming to Western Kentucky next year. It’s fun to be part of a winning program, and I’ve had that in high school and will again in college,” said Teegarden. “Everybody at WKU has been great to me and really wanted to have me there. That was a big factor in my decision.”
The Lady Toppers enter the final match of the regular season with a 25-8 record, and have already claimed at least a share of their seventh straight Sun Belt Conference East Division championship with a 14-2 league mark. WKU will host Middle Tennessee at 2 p.m. (CST) on Saturday in a match that will determine the top seed in next week’s conference tournament in Denton, Texas.
