"The difference in today's match was experience versus inexperience," head coach Travis Hudson said following the match. "Our kids played very hard, we just didn't make plays at the end of the sets."
The last time WKU lost a season-opener was the 2012 season as Hudson is now 16-8 in the first match of a season on The Hill. Five of those setbacks have been to Power Five squads.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Fri. Aug. 24 – 2:30 p.m. CT | vs. Alabama | L, 3-0
Sat. Aug. 25 – 11 a.m. CT | at College of Charleston | Stream | Livestats
Sat. Aug. 25 – 2:30 p.m. CT | vs. Missouri State | Livestats
WKU opened the 2018 season by claiming the first point against the Crimson Tide but Alabama went on to hold off the Lady Toppers' late comeback efforts to win the set 25-23. Trailing 24-19 at one point, the Red and White fended off four set points to pull back into the set.
After back-and-forth play for much of the next frame, WKU put together a 5-1 run to open up an 18-16 lead in the second set. The Lady Toppers had set point on three occasions, but the Crimson Tide recorded the set's final three tallies to take a 2-0 advantage in the contest.
Action in the third set opened with Alabama in the lead before WKU worked ahead to a 16-12 lead. Out of a Crimson Tide timeout, Alabama fought back with a 5-0 run but the Lady Toppers were able to hit 20 first with a two-point lead. The Red and White owned a lead as late as the 23-22 mark as Anderson rotated out of the front row while Alabama registered the match's final three points.
Anderson finished with a team-best 14 kills in her senior season opener. The Sturgis, Mich., native worked at a .344 offensive clip while adding five blocks and four digs on the day. Sophia Cerino added a career-high eight kills along with three blocks.
Leading the defensive effort, Emma Kowalkowski notched 14 digs in the loss while Payton Frederick added 13 in her collegiate debut.
Taylor Bebout facilitated the Lady Topper offense with 30 assists while adding two digs, two blocks, an ace and a kill.
Up next, WKU will take on the weekend host, College of Charleston, who returns nine letterwinners from last year's 27-6 squad and will be the first 2017 NCAA Tournament program the Lady Toppers will face this year. The Cougars made a first-round exit from The Dance following a 3-1 loss to Miami last season. WKU will look to double its series lead this weekend, owning a victory in the only prior meeting between the sides – a neutral site contest in 2015 that the Lady Toppers swept.
Missouri State posted a 28-6 record a year ago and marks the third opponent the Lady Toppers will meet in Charleston this weekend. The Bears return nine-of-16 letterwinners from last year, including three starters and the libero. MSU and the Red and White have meet twice prior in program history – coming in back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015 – leading the series split at 1-1.
NOTES
- WKU overall 20-18 in season openers including a 16-8 mark under Hudson. Eleven of those 18 losses have come to a Power Five opponent.
- The Lady Toppers also opened the 2008 season against Alabama, a 3-2 WKU victory from the NIU Invitational in DeKalb, Ill. The Red and White are now 2-1 all-time against the Crimson Tide and 1-1 in neutral site contests.
- The last time WKU was defeated by a three-set sweep was September 2, 2017 against Illinois.
- The match saw 23 ties and 13 lead changes. Sets two and three each saw the sides trade leads six times.
- All four true freshmen (Payton Frederick, Ashley Hood, Katie Isenbarger and Lauren Matthews) saw action against Alabama. Redshirt-freshman Taylor Bebout saw her first playing time for the Red and White as well.
- The last time WKU lost a match by the bare minimum was November 21, 2013 to host Troy (26-24, 27-25, 28-26).
How to Follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on WKU Volleyball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUVolleyball and head coach Travis Hudson at @TravisHudsonWKU.
