LEXINGTON, Ky. – WKU Volleyball senior Lauren Matthews became the first Hilltopper in program history to land on an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American team twice in their career with her 2021 Third Team honor announced Wednesday. Matthews was a Second Team selection following the 2020-21 season and is now a three-time All-American including her honorable mention accolade in 2019.
Matthews made league history in numerous ways as she became the first player to earn the Conference USA Alyssa Cavanaugh Player of the Year award – renamed for the Hilltopper legend in June 2021 – while also being voted the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, the Indianapolis, Ind., native earned First Team All-Conference, All-Tournament Team and Tournament MVP for the third-straight season. In early December, Matthews made program history once again, becoming the only Hilltopper to ever repeat as an AVCA Region Player of the Year. The middle hitter collected her first honor following the 2019 campaign
She closed the season totaling 440 kills and 123 total blocks for averages of 4.54 and 1.27 per set, respectively. Matthews started all 97 sets for the Hilltoppers in the middle this season. She tallied double-digit kills in 28 matches this season and posted 20 or more kills in five outings.
Entering the NCAA Volleyball Final Four, Matthews continues to own the best Division I hitting percentage, working at a .480 clip across the season. She also led the NCAA in the category during the 2019 campaign with a .448 mark.
Additionally, Matthews owns the best single-match hitting percentage in all of the NCAA this season as she hit .929 with 13 kills on 14 swings at FIU this season.
Matthews collected four of C-USA's Offensive Player of the Week honors as well as a Defensive Player of the Week laurel, marking the lone player in C-USA to achieve the feat this season.
In total, WKU Volleyball has seen two different players combine for three All-American Team honors as Alyssa Cavanaugh was the first Hilltopper to ever land on one of the AVCA's three teams. Cavanaugh earned third team honors while Matthews has now earned second and third team recognition herself.
Matthews' All-American honor marks the 26th in program history awarded by the AVCA, with 11 different Hilltoppers combining for the mark.
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.
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