| WKU Volleyball Invite // Sept. 17-18 // Diddle Arena | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 10: Ohio (0-8) | Fri., Sept. 10 | 1 p.m. CT | Facebook Live | CUSA.tv ($) | ESPN 102.7 FM // Listen Live | Livestats | ||||
| Match 11: Austin Peay (5-4) | Fri., Sept. 10 | 6:30 p.m. CT | Facebook Live | CUSA.tv ($) | ESPN 102.7 FM // Listen Live | Livestats | ||||
| Match 12: St. John's (7-4) | Sat., Sept. 11 | 1 p.m. CT | Facebook Live | CUSA.tv ($) | ESPN 102.7 FM // Listen Live | Livestats | ||||
| Tickets | Flexible Ticket Package | Single game tickets available at entrance ($6 adults, $3 youth) | ||||
| Promotions | Ohio: Free Admission Austin Peay: #WKUSocialMediaNight St. John's: WKU Volleyball Camper Day (Free admission for campers, discounted tickets for their families) |
||||
| Match Notes | WKU | Austin Peay | Lipscomb | Ohio | St. John's | ||||
| Series History | Ohio: Series Tied, 3-3 | All-Time Results Austin Peay: WKU leads 32-12 | All-Time Results St. John's: First Meeting |
||||
| Social Media | @WKUVolleyball  | @WKU Volleyball  | Facebook  | YouTube  | Tik Tok |
||||
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Hilltoppers' eight match homestand from E.A. Diddle Arena continues this weekend as the Red and White host the WKU Volleyball Invite. No. 23 WKU will play three matches over the course of the weekend against Ohio, Austin Peay and St. John's. There will be seven total matches across the weekend tournament as Lipscomb is also scheduled for a couple contests.
All three matches featuring the Hilltoppers will be streamed for free on Facebook Live via the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network (HSSN) Facebook page with Brett Williams on the call. The matches will also be available on CUSA.tv, Conference USA's home for live events, for fans who elect to subscribe.
As is the case for every Hilltopper match this season, all the action will also be available on ESPN 102.7 FM or ESPNRadio1027.com with Brett Williams on the play-by-play call.
FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday
10:30 a.m. CT – Austin Peay (H) vs. St. John's (A) – Free Admission
1 p.m. CT – WKU hosts Ohio – Stream & Radio – Free Admission
4:30 p.m. CT – St. John's (H) vs. Lipscomb (A) – Free Admission
6:30 p.m. CT – WKU hosts Austin Peay
Saturday
10:30 a.m. CT – Lipscomb (H) vs. Ohio (A) – Free Admission
1 p.m. CT – WKU hosts St. John's
3:30 p.m. CT – Ohio vs. Austin Peay – Free Admission
WKU will open tournament play against Ohio on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. The sides have faced off six times in program history, with each team winning three matches. The most recent meeting came in 2016, when WKU won 3-1 in Athens. In last year's abbreviated season, Ohio finished 12-8. The Bobcats enter the weekend 0-8.
WKU matches up against Austin Peay at 6:30 p.m. on Friday from Diddle Arena, which will be the 45th time the sides have met in program history. WKU leads the all-time series against the Governors 32-12. Austin Peay posted a 9-5 record last season and enters the Invitational with a 5-4 record.
The Red and White's final match of the WKU Volleyball Invite comes against St. John's at 1 p.m. on Saturday. This will be the first meeting against the Red Storm in program history. St. Johns enters the weekend with a 7-4 record.
WKU Volleyball is coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Holiday Inn - University Plaza Invitational, the loss against Ole Miss was the Red and White's first loss of the season. The Hilltoppers swept their first match, downing Samford on Friday afternoon, 3-0, failing short to Ole Miss on Friday night in four sets, and taking down UT Martin in a sweep to finish off the invitational. The two sweeps over the weekend add to WKU's total of six sweeps on the season.
Flexible season ticket packages are on sale now and include 13 vouchers that fans can use at any regular-season home match in whatever fashion they choose. Fans can opt for the traditional use of one ticket for all 13 home matches or bring a group to a few matches. Flexible ticket packages are available for $50 at WKUTickets.com, by calling 1-800-5-BIGRED or by coming to the WKU Ticket Office during regular business hours.
Single game tickets are available at the door on game day or online during the week of each match.
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU opened the season ranked for just the fourth time in program history during the 2021 fall campaign, also marking the first time the team will do so in back-to-back campaigns. The Hilltoppers came in at No. 25 to begin the 2020-21 spring season. In 2013, WKU was ranked in the AVCA Preseason poll for the first time, coming in at No. 21 before owning the 22nd slot prior to the 2016 season.
- WKU ranks No. 23 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll – following two weeks at the highest ranking in program history (15). The Hilltoppers have now been ranked in 10 of the last 11 seasons and received votes for 12-straight campaigns.
- Due to last season being moved to the spring, WKU's 124-day offseason marked the shortest offseason in program history.
- WKU President Dr. Timothy C. Caboni welcomed faculty and staff for a convocation to kick off the 2021-22 school year on August 16 where he would award head coach Travis Hudson the Spirit of WKU Award. The Spirit of WKU Award is presented to an individual representing enthusiasm for WKU, loyalty to the institution and principles of the WKU Experience and its motto "The Spirit Makes the Master." Hudson was inducted into WKU's prestigious Hall of Distinguished Alumni in October 2020 as well.
- 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.
- Since joining Conference USA prior to the 2014 campaign, WKU Volleyball is now 17-13 against Power 5 opponents. The Hilltoppers claimed their first three opportunities against Power 5 squads this season with wins over Notre Dame, Kansas and Wake Forest across the first two weekends of play before falling to Ole Miss in week three.
- WKU is now 11-19 all-time when facing a top-25 squad including a 10-11 mark since the beginning of the 2012 campaign following its Opening Day win at No. 25 Notre Dame.
- WKU's home opener against Belmont was postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases within the Belmont program. A makeup day has not been determined yet.
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.
