| NCAA Tournament First & Second Rounds Dec. 3-4 | Hosted by [8] Georgia Tech |
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| Match 29: NCAA First Round | Â Friday, Dec. 3 | 3:30 p.m. CT | ESPN+ | ESPN 102.7 FM > Listen Live | Livestats | ||||
| Match 30: (With Win) | Saturday, Dec. 4 | 6Â p.m. CT | ESPN+ | ESPN 102.7 FM > Listen Live | Livestats | ||||
| Media Center |  WKU Notes | Preview Interviews | Bracket | ||||
| Record Books |  WKU | NCAA Volleyball | NCAA VB Championships | ||||
| Tickets | Â Sold out // O'Keefe Gym (1,500) | ||||
| Series History | Â South Carolina | Georgia Tech | The Citadel (Never met) | ||||
| Social Media |  @WKUVolleyball   | @WKU Volleyball   | Facebook   | YouTube   | Tik Tok |
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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Volleyball will be back in action in Atlanta, Georgia for the First Round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament this weekend. The postseason action will begin on Dec. 2 with the 17th-ranked Hilltoppers opening play on Dec. 3 against South Carolina at 3:30 p.m. CST.
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All C-USA Tournament matches will be available on ESPN+, for fans who elect to subscribe.
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As is the case for every Hilltopper match this season, all the action will also be available on the radio with Brett Williams on the play-by-play call. Any matches the Hilltoppers play from Atlanta, Ga., this weekend will air on ESPN Radio 102.7 FM.
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First Round
Friday, December 3 – 3:30 p.m. CT | WKU vs. South Carolina
Friday, December 3 - 6 p.m. CT | [8] Georgia Tech vs. The Citadel
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Second Round
Saturday, December 4 – 6 p.m. CT | Winners of Friday matches
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South Carolina finished the regular season with a 14-14 record. The Gamecocks are 3-11 in their last 14 matches. However, one of those three wins was against No. 5 Kentucky. In action against common opponents, South Carolina lost to Ole Miss in both meetings this season but the Gamecocks defeated No. 23 ranked Rice in five sets back on Opening Weekend.
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WKU and South Carolina will meet for the fourth time ever with the Gamecocks owning a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The sides haven't played since 1993 – Travis Hudson's first season as an assistant coach at WKU.
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Following its third-straight C-USA Tournament championship, WKU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 27-1 record. The Hilltoppers currently own 21 sweeps on the season. WKU has only lost nine sets all season, with three coming against Ole Miss - the Tops' lone loss in 2021. The Rebels joined the Hilltoppers in the NCAA Tournament this fall.
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The Hilltoppers will be making the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance - all under head coach Travis Hudson. WKU has been in the tournament seven of the last eight and 10 of the last 12 seasons. WKU Volleyball is 6-13 all-time in the NCAA tournament. The Hilltoppers have made it to the Second Round in 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019. In the spring 2020-21 campaign, WKU made its deepest tournament run in school history, advancing to the Sweet 16 before losing to the eventual national champions.
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Fifth year seasons Kayland Jackson, Hallie Shelton and Taylor Bebout are 4-3 in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Second Round in 2017 and 2019 and the Sweet 16 in 2020-21.
On the season, WKU is 3-1 against Power 5 opponents with wins over No. 25 Notre Dame, Kansas and Wake Forest.
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Lauren Matthews leads the team in kills this season with 413. Matthews is currently eighth in all-time kills by a Hilltopper with 1,388. Additionally, she leads the nation with a .480 hitting clip.
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Hallie Shelton is the now all-time sets played leader with 512 played for WKU. She also is the all-time leader in career matches played at 149 for the Hilltoppers. Shelton sits in second on the career aces list with 184.
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The Tops have claimed the No. 17 spot in this week's AVCA rankings. WKU has now been ranked in 37-consecutive polls, dating back into the 2019 campaign.
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TOP STORYLINES
- WKU Volleyball earned Conference USA's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight season and has done so in 7-of-8 total seasons in C-USA. This season's trip to NCAAs marks WKU's 14th overall trip and 12th automatic bid.
- The Hilltoppers also own the longest road winning streak in all of NCAA Volleyball with 23-straight wins.
- WKU will look to extend its 20-match win streak.
- The Hilltoppers have only lost nine sets all season, with three coming against Ole Miss - the Tops' lone loss in 2021.
- Lauren Matthews earned Conference USA Tournament MVP honors for the third straight season. Paige Briggs, Nadia Dieudonne and Kayland Jackson all earned All-Tournament Team honors as well.
- Lauren Matthews made Conference USA history in numerous ways as she became the first player to earn the 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. Head coach Travis Hudson was tabbed the C-USA Coach of the Year. Matthews, Paige Briggs and Nadia Dieudonne all collected First Team All-Conference recognition for the third-consecutive season. Katie Isenbarger and Kayland Jackson both landed on the Second Team All-Conference Team while Katie Howard earned All-Freshman Team honors.
- Since 2011, WKU is the winningest team in the nation with 316 wins
- WKU has won 20 straight matches, the third longest win streak in the countryÂ
- The Hilltoppers also own the longest road winning streak in all of NCAA Volleyball with 23-straight wins.
- Listen to Lauren Matthews talk about the recent C-USA Championship and the upcoming NCAA Tournament on the Beyond the Hill Podcast. LISTEN HERE
- WKU is undefeated, 16-0, away from Diddle Arena this season
- WKU became the nation's first 20-win team this season back on Oct. 23. The Hilltoppers now own 22-consecutive 20-win seasons, the second longest active streak in NCAA Volleyball.
- Paige Briggs and Katie Isenbarger were tabbed to Conference USA's 11-member All-Academic Volleyball Team on Monday, Nov. 15. The honor marks the first for Isenbarger and second of Briggs' career on The Hill.
- WKU Volleyball is more accessible than ever with radio broadcasts for every match. The Tops are 1 of just 10 Division I Volleyball programs that currently have live radio for home and away matches.
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