Oct. 24, 2013
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University volleyball team (18-5, 8-1) is halfway through its Sun Belt Conference schedule and now begins its second go-around, as the team will play the nine other SBC teams one more time this season. The Lady Toppers face ULM (5-20, 1-8) on Friday, October 25 in Monroe, La., before coming home to face Arkansas State (11-13, 6-3) on Sunday, October 27.
Game Information
•Friday, October 25; ULM at 7 p.m.; Monroe, La./Fant-Ewing Coliseum
•Sunday, October 27; Arkansas State at noon.; E.A. Diddle Arena
Viewing Information
•Live stats available for the ULM match at ULMWarhawks.com
•Live stats and video available for the Arkansas State match at WKUSports.com
Promotions
•Sunday vs. Arkansas State
oFootball Ticket Stub Day - Fans who bring in their ticket stub from the WKU vs. Troy game will receive free admission
Versus ULM/Arkansas State
WKU holds an 11-3 advantage in the series with ULM, having won the last 11 matches. In the last meeting on October 11 of this season, ULM won its first set against the Lady Toppers since 1992 while breaking WKU's set-winning streak over SBC opponents of 38 straight by winning the third set 28-26. In that match, sophomore Haley Bodway knocked down 21 kills followed by sophomore Noelle Langenkamp's 14 and junior Heather Boyan's 10. Seniors Melanie Stutsman and Ashley Potts broke career highs, as Stutsman dished out 60 assists and Potts totaled 30 digs.
Against Arkansas State, the overall series record is one of the closer ones against a SBC opponent for WKU, as the Lady Toppers lead 22-19. WKU has won the last 11 meetings, dropping just two sets. The Red Wolves' last win came in 2004 in Jonesboro. The teams met just last Saturday with WKU winning in straight sets. Boyan led the team with 11 kills and five blocks while Langenkamp had three service aces. Potts and junior Mollie Pajakowski had double-digit dig efforts with 12 and 10, respectively.
How Sweep It Is
With the sweeps over UALR and Arkansas State last weekend, WKU now has 12 straight-set wins this season, including seven in Sun Belt Conference play. Nine teams in the nation have more than 12 sweeps this season, led by No. 11 Missouri with 17. WKU led the nation last year with 26 sweeps, including 14 regular-season sweeps over SBC opponents, three in the SBC Tournament and one in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ranking High in National Stats
WKU consistently finds itself ranking high in national statistics in both team and individual categories. The team's .310 hitting percentage currently ranks fifth in the nation behind Missouri's .374, Florida's .336, Stanford's .319 and Penn State's .314. All four teams rank in the top 11 of the AVCA poll. WKU has finished with a top-10 hitting percentage nationally the last three years along with Florida and Texas. The Longhorns are currently 21st.
Individually, WKU has two in the top 15 in hitting percentage--redshirt senior Paige Wessel is 11th with .442 while sophomore Noelle Langenkamp is 14th with .422. Out of the teams that currently rank higher than WKU in hitting percentage, only Florida has two players in the top 15 nationally in hitting percentage.
Senior Melanie Stutsman is a big part of WKU's hitting percentage, as the Floyds Knob, Ind., native is ninth nationally with 11.65 assists per set. She has set WKU up to be 19th in kills per set (14.26) and 14th in assists per set (13.43). Of the teams that rank above WKU in hitting percentage, only Missouri and Florida have setters in the top 10 nationally in assists per set.
What a Difference a Year Makes Sophomore
Noelle Langenkamp has made huge improvements from her first season on The Hill. After finishing 231st in the nation with a .291 hitting mark last year, the Cincinnati native is currently 14th in the nation with a .422 percentage. Take a look at the comparison below to see the difference in Langenkamp's offensive stats:
• 2012 overall: .291 HP; 196 kills; 1.78 kills/set
• 2012-first 23 games: .254 HP; 100 kills; 1.47 kills/set
• 2012-first nine SBC games: .430 HP; 51 kills; 2.12 kills/set
• 2013-23 games: .422 HP; 221 kills; 3.03 kills/set
• 2013-nine SBC games: .478 HP; 105 kills; 3.62 kills/set
To view full games notes, click here.
For all the latest news and information on WKU volleyball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program on Twitter via @TravisHudsonWKU and @WKUVolleyball.
