Hitters Lauren Matthews and Paige Briggs went in for a combined 38 kills during the four-set contest, Matthews tied her season single-match high of 21 kills on the evening, obtaining a .421 hitting clip against the Mean Green. Collectively, the Hilltoppers pulled together a .366 offensive percentage, halting UNT to a mere .186.
Libero Abby Schaefer hit a career-high 14 digs on the evening in reception, while middle hitter Katie Isenbarger went in for eight blocks in Texas, including two stuffed solo up at the net.
WKU 3, NORTH TEXAS 1- 20-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-12
SET 1
Connecting first with a kill by Lauren Matthews to put the Tops on the board, WKU and UNT never frayed away from each other, within a two-point margin until an explosive Mean Green 4-0 run drew the match at 14-9 in their favor. A kill off the right side from Kenadee Coyle cut the scoring, yet the host continued to their advantage and drew a seven-point margin until a service error broke it up. The Hilltopper fought back in every other point rallies, featuring three kills from Matthews and Briggs a piece, but the Mean Green held a five point lead that ended in a kill from opposite hitter Treyaunna Rush to end the first frame.
SET 2
Resetting after a tough opening set, the Hilltoppers jumped early from a back and forth rally to four straight that included a Katie Isenbarger kill and Paige Briggs ace. With the 9-4 lead, WKU extended it with kills from Lauren Matthews and back-to-back sideout points from the Mean Green that led to four unanswered. UNT later took three of their own before Paige Briggs cut the run with a cross-court kill. The Tops ended the slate with back-to-back kills from Lauren Matthews, and two more added in by senior Jennifer Rush.
SET 3
In front of a crowd of 363, the Mean Green broke suit first, but WKU rallied back with another Matthews kill. After UNT gained two more of their own, Katie Isenbarger leaped off one foot across the middle for the match-tying kill at four a piece. Even split through the middle, WKU went on a 5-0 run with two back-to-back kills for Rush, nearing her career high. The Tops settled in, not wagering the lead the rest of the frame. The front line duo of Paige Briggs and Lauren Matthews led the Hilltoppers out, ending with a kill into the corner from Briggs off the assist from Callie Bauer.
SET 4
The Hilltoppers demonstrated their national rankings in the final slate of the evening. WKU kept UNT scoreless through three, showcasing Lauren Matthews and Jennifer Rush kills. Holding the host in single-digits, the Tops kept up with their offensive run with five unanswered that featured back-to-back Paige Briggs kills, an Abby Schaefer ace, and a stuff block with Isenbarger and Briggs at the net. Illustrating only one attacking error in the set, the Hilltoppers picked up three more blocks, including a solo stuffed down by Katie Isenbarger, that eventually ran into North Texas' longest run of the frame. After a UNT service error changed servers, the Hilltoppers drove forward with a 4-0 run and later the match with a Paige Briggs kill down the line. WKU hit their best in the final frame, collectively hitting .440 offensively.
UP NEXT
Sticking down south for the weekend, the Hilltoppers continue their Texas road trip off to El Paso to take on the Miners of UTEP on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
POST-MATCH NOTES
- WKU used the lineup of Paige Briggs, Avri Davis, Lauren Matthews, Katie Isenbarger, Kenadee Coyle, Callie Bauer, and Abby Schaefer. Adding in Davis, this is the first time this season Coach Hudson has used this combination.
- In the series, WKU continued the win streak bringing the total to three straight and have the all-time series edge 23-3 over the North Texas Mean Green.
- Fifth-year Lauren Matthews tallied 21 kills off of 38 attempts for a .421 hitting clip for 21.5 points on the day. Senior Jennifer Rush went in on nine attempts, operating at a .444 hitting wedge.
- Paige Briggs drove in had a team high three aces to go along with two digs and 17 kills.
- Receiving, libero Abby Schaefer notched 14 digs against North Texas, marking a new career high.
- The Hilltoppers now stand at 18-2 and undefeated in C-USA play (6-0).
- Head coach Travis Hudson is now 711-220 across his career on the Hill.
- WKU Volleyball is now up to an all-time program record of 989-494 with Sunday's victory, 50 straight regular-season conference victories thus far.
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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