C-USA Release
IRVING, Texas - Awards continue to roll in for the 2016 WKU Volleyball squad as Alyssa Cavanaugh, Jessica Lucas and head coach Travis Hudson each collected Conference USA individual awards, announced the league office on Thursday. Cavanaugh was voted the C-USA Player of the Year while Lucas and Hudson repeated as the Setter of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively.
This marks back-to-back days that Cavanaugh and Lucas received C-USA postseason awards as the duo earned First-Team All-Conference status for the third-consecutive season on Wednesday.
Three-time All-Conference USA First-Team honoree Lucas was awarded with her second Setter of the Year honor as the junior guided the WKU offensive to a league-leading .308 team hitting percentage, which ranks second in the nation. Lucas has been the facilitator of the high-powered Lady Topper offense, averaging 11.49 assist per set. Lucas and the Lady Topper attackers have connected extremely well as 48.3% of Lucas' sets have been put down for kills this season. The junior also contributes 1.40 kills per set, 2.69 digs per set, 0.66 blocks per set and a .392 hitting percentage. On 11 occasions in 2016, Lucas posted double-double performances including WKU's first 20/20 double-double outing since Tara Thomas in 2001 when Lucas registered 43 assists and 22 digs at [RV] Pitt.
After earning her third First-Team All-Conference accolade, Cavanaugh brought in the Conference USA Player of the Year honor for the first time of her career. With an average of 4.35 kills per set, Cavanaugh leads the Lady Toppers and ranks second in the league. The outside hitter also leads all athletes in the nation playing her same position that have 900 or more attacks in hitting percentage at .338. Additionally, Cavanaugh tops the league with 444 kills on the season, the highest output of her three seasons on The Hill.
Lucas is the first WKU setter to earn back-to-back Setter of the Year awards as Melanie Stutsman in the only other Lady Topper to be honored (2013). The last Lady Topper to collect Player of the Year honors was Jordyn Skinner in 2011. Cavanaugh is the sixth athlete in WKU Volleyball history to be named the conference's Player of the Year.
Calling the shots to WKU Volleyball in his 22nd season on The Hill, Hudson collects his second Conference USA Coach of the Year accolade. Hudson has now been tabbed the conference Coach of the Year seven times during his career as he previously took home the award five times when the Lady Toppers were a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
Overall, the 2016 C-USA Championship is Hudson's 13th regular season title since 2000. The program's all-time winningest coach, Hudson earned his 550th career victory in WKU's sweep of UTEP earlier this year. At his alma mater, Hudson holds an impressive .737 winning percentage with an overall record of 556-198.
WKU Volleyball is currently riding the second-longest win streak in the nation at 18 straight. The Lady Toppers have put together a 27-2 campaign in 2016, which included a perfect 14-0 mark in conference contests. Under Hudson, an undefeated conference record has now been achieved four times.
Conference USA Tournament action will get underway on Friday when the top-seeded Lady Toppers take on No. 8 seed UTEP in Houston. The first serve from the Tudor Fieldhouse on the campus of Rice University.
2016 CONFERENCE USA VOLLEYBALL INDIVIDUAL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Player of the Year
Alyssa Cavanaugh, WKU
Setter of the Year
Jessica Lucas, WKU
Libero of the Year
Allie Kellerman, Marshall
Freshman of the Year
Catherine Repsher, Southern Miss
Coach of the Year
Travis Hudson, WKU
