WKU Volleyball Headed to Lexington for Exhibition Against No. 7 Kentucky

Hudson Preview Video | Hudson on UK's Fundraiser

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Volleyball head coach Travis Hudson and the 2019 Lady Topper squad will face their first competition of the fall on Wednesday in an exhibition against No. 7 Kentucky. First serve from Paul Dunbar High School in Lexington is slated for 5 p.m. CT, between the in-state foes.

This marks the third-straight season the Wildcats and Tops have met in a preseason exhibition with locations altering each year. However, the last time the squads met for a non-preseason match is a night most volleyball fans will never forget. In the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament, WKU led host No. 6 Kentucky 2-0 in the win-or-go-home match before the Wildcats fought all the way back in a blow-for-blow battle. WKU's Alyssa Cavanaugh put on a show, registering 23 kills and a .405 hitting clip on the outside in what would end up being her final collegiate match.

While the rivalry is stronger than ever between UK and WKU, the amount of respect between the programs far exceeds it.

There's no doubt most fans would pay to see the teams meet again, but the 2019 preseason exhibition will be free admission to anyone on Wednesday – and for good reason.

Since Cavanaugh concluded her decorated career on The Hill, the four-time All-American was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia – or ALL – on Sept. 5, 2018. Since then, Cavanaugh has completed treatment and had a successful bone marrow transplant donated from none other than her father. At this point, Cavanaugh is in remission but still fighting an uphill battle as she continues to recover.

Kentucky Volleyball has turned the preseason exhibition into a fundraiser for the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation. T-shirts will be on sale to help benefit the cause, as well. Donations will be accepted in cash or check forms only.

Both teams will be wearing the same orange warm-up shirts prior to the match – the color associated with ALL – before switching into jerseys for the match.

Eight players return to represent WKU again this season while five student-athletes will be representing the Red and White for the first time. This year's squad was predicted to finish third in the Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll and had a pair of players selected to the Preseason All-Conference team in Sophia Cerino and Lauren Matthews.

Exhibition play will not strictly adhere to the usual match format. Both teams have agreed to play in a cooperative format so each side's entire bench can gain valuable match setting playing time. To help both programs gain beneficial experience during the preseason meeting, extra sets will potentially be added while scoring may be adjusted as well. Changes will be up to the coaches' discretion and will be relayed to fans and followers as soon as possible via WKU Volleyball's Twitter.

While Wednesday's exhibition will not count towards the all-time meetings between the in-state foes, it will serve as an instrumental training opportunity as both sides gear up for big seasons. Scores from the exhibition will not be made public. Limited stats will be included in the post-match release following the competition.

The squad's official season opener is Friday, Aug. 30, against Loyola (Chicago) in Toledo, Ohio.

With the 2019 campaign just around the corner, volleyball season tickets are available online at WKUSports.com or by calling the WKU ticket office at 1-800-5-BIGRED. Season ticket holders will receive 15 general admission tickets with the Flexible Ticket Package that can be used to attend the home games of his or her choice. This plan allows the flexibility to choose which volleyball games the buyer wants to attend and the number of tickets used for each game. Season ticket holders also gain exclusive access to pre-game chalk talks with Hudson, who enters his 25th season at the helm of WKU volleyball.

Statement from UK head coach, Craig Skinner:
"For someone who has given so much to the sport of volleyball in the state of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University, we hope that this small gesture of ours can go a long way in helping the fight against cancer."

About the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation:
The Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation (BMCF) offers financial assistance and free support services to cancer and transplant patients and their families. The BMCF relies 100% on private donations to provide these vital services. Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation is the only organization of its kind that does not limit assistance to a specific disease, type of transplant, or age range.

How to Follow WKU Volleyball: For complete information on WKU Volleyball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUVolleyball and head coach Travis Hudson at @TravisHudsonWKU. The team is also on Instagram and Facebook.

WKU Volleyball Headed to Lexington for Exhibition Against No. 7 Kentucky

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Players Mentioned

Sophia Cerino

Lauren Matthews