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BOWLING GREEN, Ky.— Senior Heather Boyan continues to be a consistent force on both sides of the ball for the Lady Toppers, as she guided the WKU volleyball team (21-5, 9-1) to a sweep over FIU (6-16, 3-6) by scores of 25-11, 25-13 and 25-20 on Friday night.Boyan topped all players with 14 kills, as she had no attack errors in 22 swings to hit .636 for the match. It's the fourth-straight match that Boyan hasn't committed an attack error. The Munster, Ind., native also added five blocks and three digs to her stat line.
"I thought tonight was one of Heather's best performances of the season, and not just because she hit at a high percentage," said WKU head coach Travis Hudson. "Heather probably made 10 plays on balls that were chipped over the net. She just stayed engaged in every play we made, and I was just really, really pleased in the way she played tonight."
Following Boyan was freshman Alyssa Cavanaugh with seven kills while fellow freshman Sydney Engle notched six.
At the net, WKU outblocked the Panthers 12-2, as freshman Jessica Lucas and junior Noelle Langenkamp also had five blocks each. The team continued to defend well in the back court with sophomore Georgia O'Connell tabbing 13 digs while Lucas had nine, junior Rachel Engle had seven and freshman Jackie Scott tallied six. For the contest, FIU hit a .034 clip while WKU finished the night at .337.
For FIU, Jennifer Ene led the Panthers with nine kills. The team had a pair with 10 digs each in Martyna Gluchowicz and Adriana McLamb, as McLamb also posted the team's two service aces.
The defense stepped up for WKU in the first set, as 16 digs, including four from O'Connell, and three blocks helped the Lady Toppers hold FIU to a -.079 mark and take the 25-11 win. Up 8-4 at a FIU break, WKU used a 7-0 run to distance itself at 15-5. With plays such as a Langenkamp solo block and ace, WKU would easily move on to the win.
WKU made it tough for FIU to string points together in the second frame, notching multiple-point runs to go up 15-8. Behind Boyan's five kills and WKU's .429 hitting percentage, the Lady Toppers took a 2-0 lead at the break with a 25-13 win.
The final set was much different than the previous two. It took 14 tied scores and nine lead changes before WKU took its final lead of the night at 20-19 with a Boyan kill. R. Engle and Scott played big roles in the back court, as each recorded five digs in the frame. Cavanaugh did work in the final points, as a hand in a block along with two kills pushed WKU to a 25-20 win.
The Lady Toppers return to the court on Sunday, Oct. 26 at noon CT against Florida Atlantic in E.A. Diddle Arena. At the match, fans can receive free admission by presenting a ticket stub from WKU football's game against Old Dominion on Saturday. The gridiron Toppers are set for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff.
The 2014 WKU volleyball season is being presented by the United States Marines. This season, the Marines and WKU Athletics are working together to promote the outstanding athletic and academic achievements of our female student-athletes. The Marines are proud to work with and support these future leaders of America.
For all the latest news and information on WKU volleyball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program on Twitter via @TravisHudsonWKU and @WKUVolleyball.
