It's the first time since 2010 that WKU was swept in back-to-back matches after the Lady Tops fell on Friday night to host UNLV. In 2010, WKU opened the season falling in straight sets to Purdue and No. 24 Northern Iowa.
WKU was led in kills by junior Noelle Langenkamp, as she had eight in the match to go with three blocks. Senior Heather Boyan and junior Haley Bodway had five each. Boyan also added four blocks, as WKU outblocked the Matadors by one with eight total.
Sophomore Georgia O'Connell continues to hold down the back row, posting a new career-high 18 digs. Freshman Jessica Lucas followed with seven, as she also collected 19 assists, four kills and two blocks.
For the Matadors, Casey Hinger led the charge with a double-double of 16 kills and 10 digs while adding three service aces. Cieana Stinson followed suit with 11 kills of her own.
WKU struggled to click offensively in the first set, hitting .120 in the frame with nine total kills. CSUN jumped out of the gate to notch the lead, getting ahead 16-10 and forcing a WKU timeout. A 3-0 run by WKU with a kill and block by Langenkamp closed the gap at 18-15, but the deficit would be too much to overcome with CSUN winning 25-19.
The Matadors again were aggressive to being the second set, taking an early 5-1 advantage. CSUN continued to hold the lead, but WKU chipped away to get it down to three at 19-16 after a CSUN miscue and freshman Alyssa Cavanaugh kill. However, WKU's only attack errors of the set came late in the rally and allowed CSUN to win 25-20.
The final set began the same with CSUN jumping out ahead 5-1, but WKU didn't allow the foe to gain too much momentum, keeping the deficit at 1-2 points before tying it at 7 off a Langenkamp kill. Back-to-back service aces from junior Rachel Engle knotted it at 16 each before another Langenkamp slam broke the stalemate in WKU's favor. After a CSUN timeout, the Matadors came out on a 7-3 run to go up 23-20 and eventually seal the win 25-22.
The Lady Toppers will host their season opener on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. versus Belmont. The first 250 fans will receive a free face tattoo while 2014 WKU Volleyball Camp attendees will receive one free ticket with friends and family able to purchase unlimited $3 tickets.
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.
