IRVING, Texas - After a remarkable first year on The Hill, WKU volleyball freshman Alyssa Cavanaugh was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year on Wednesday, as voted on by the league's 13 coaches.
"This is a fantastic honor for Alyssa," said WKU head coach Travis Hudson. "The two things that are the most remarkable about the year she has had is that she has never been a left side in her life prior to this year, so she has been learning on the job. Then, just the consistency she has done things. She has gone out and given us something every single night, and I think that has led to this award."
Originally from Louisville, Ky., Cavanaugh is the third Lady Topper to earn Freshman of the Year honors from a conference office, as Megan Argabright and Melanie Stutsman garnered the award in the Sun Belt Conference in 2005 and 2010, respectively. Both went on to earn AVCA Region Freshman of the Year and All-Region accolades before being named AVCA All-Americans.
Cavanaugh is one of the top offensive threats on the team, averaging 3.34 kills per set for seventh in the league and helping WKU rank 21st in the nation with 14.06 kills per set while her .267 hitting mark has WKU ranked 11th in the nation with a .278 hitting percentage. Her kills per set moves up to 3.84 in C-USA action, as she posted double-digit kills in 13 of 16 matches, including 20 against Middle Tennessee and a season-best 21 against North Texas. A C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, Cavanaugh is also a standout defensively, as she has 60 digs and 54 total blocks, including 24 block solos.
The outside hitter was also honored by the league on Tuesday after being named First-Team All-Conference as well as to the All-Freshman Team. Cavanaugh was joined on the All-Conference squad with senior Heather Boyan and fellow classmate Jessica Lucas as well as second-team selection junior Noelle Langenkamp. Lucas also earned All-Freshman honors.
The Lady Toppers begin postseason action after wrapping up the regular season with a 27-5 record and 15-1 C-USA mark on their way to claiming a share of the league's regular-season title. WKU enters the C-USA Tournament on Friday, Nov. 21 at the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7 Florida Atlantic at 5 p.m. CT on the campus of Southern Miss.
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.
