"This was the exact match everybody thought it was going to be. Every time we [WKU and Rice] play each other, it comes down to a play here or there", noted head coach Travis Hudson. "I don't need to win on the scoreboard to know what kind of kids I got. I have no fault to anyone in our locker room today, they played their guts out. I thought we did the things we needed to do to win – I'm just incredibly proud of the hunger our kids played with."
In picking up the same amount of points (91) as the Owls in five sets, the Hilltoppers stuffed more blocks and picked up more from the service line than Rice in front of a Diddle Arena crowd of 1,858. Fifth-year hitter Lauren Matthews came through in another big match, collecting 27 kills for a .407 hitting clip to go along with four blocks and was named a member of the All-Tournament Team. Paige Briggs followed suit with a spot on the team, knocking down 20 kills off of 61 swings during the afternoon, while Katie Isenbarger was the third member from WKU named to the team, stuffing eight blocks including two solo at the net.
WKU 2, RICE 3 - 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 28-26, 11-15
SET 1
Rice notched the first point at 1:02 p.m. CT and the conference championship match was officially underway. Lauren Matthews and the Tops answered back to their opponent with back-to-back kills from the fifth-year in the middle. Katie Howard served up the first ace of the match to give WKU a 4-2 lead. Rice managed two of their own, but Paige Briggs dropped one out of Owl reach and the Tops got the two-point margin back leading at six. Another ace from the service line, followed by a kill and block from Katie Isenbarger, and WKU lead had grown to five, forcing Rice to burn a timeout. Paige Briggs recorded her first ace of the match, the third for the Tops, giving WKU a 13-7 edge. Following their fifth attacking error of the set, the Owls took their second timeout trailing WKU, 15-8. Matthews and Callie Bauer stuffed a block, giving WKU its largest lead of the set at a nine-point advantage. Rice managed seven of the next 10 points cutting the Hilltopper lead to five at 22-17. Lauren Matthews garnered her fourth kill of the set, match point in the Hilltoppers' favor. Rice took the next four, cutting the lead down to two forcing WKU into a timeout leading 24-22. Out of the timeout, Lauren Matthews notched a kill and set one belonged to the Red and White.
SET 2
A long attack over the line from the Owls and the Tops were on the board first in the second frame. After Rice responded, Katie Howard struck a kill followed up with a Rice error and WKU had the 3-1 advantage. Bolstered by three kills, Rice took a 5-3 lead. Matthews put an end to the 5-0 run notching a kill trailing 6-4. The Owls were the team to first crack 10 in the frame, leading 10-7 but a kill from Briggs cut the margin down to two. At the media break, Rice was ahead 15-11, following a kill and attack error, Hilltopper head coach Travis Hudson called time as his team was down, 17-11. Senior Jennifer Rush put a stop to the 6-0 run with a kill, still trailing 18-12. Kenadee Coyle stuffed her second block of the day and Paige Briggs flied her second ace of the match as part of a 3-0 run, now trailing 22-19. Rice used their second timeout of the set as their lead was trimmed down to one following a block and kill by Isenbarger, 22-21. Out of the break, Rice grabbed a kill and block fixing set point. Lauren Matthews extended the set with a kill, but a service error to the net and Rice tied the match up.
SET 3
Paige Briggs picked up her eighth and ninth kills of the day to start off set three. Rice responded tying the set, but a long serve gave the Tops the lead back at 3-2. The Owls took their first lead on their 34th kill of the match. On her 10th of 27 kills of the match, Lauren Matthews brought the Tops within one and then tied the match with an acrobatic kill from the assist of Callie Bauer. Once again, the Owls created some space and Paige Briggs notched a kill to bring WKU within one again. Katie Isenbarger's back-to-back aces tied the set at 13-all. An errant attack error and the Tops were in the lead for the first time since it was 3-2. Out of the media break, Katie Isenbarger served up her third ace of the set for a 16-13 WKU lead. The Owls needed time as the scoring run was extended to seven capped by a block from Matthews and Coyle, leading 17-13. On a net violation, WKU broke the 20-point mark, then after Katie Isenbarger's sixth kill of the day, Rice used their final timeout with WKU on top, 21-17. Out of the break, Isenbarger dumped a softball over the net for a five point advantage. Rice cut the margin to one after a 4-0 run forcing WKU to call timeout still leading, 22-21. Coyle fired a laser bringing the crowd to their feet with WKU on the verge of taking set three. Coyle struck again with another kill giving set three to the Tops.
SET 4
Lauren Matthews got the ball rolling in the fourth frame picking up her 16th and 17th kills. The Owls followed, putting one just out of the reach of the WKU front-line. A service ace gave the Owls the lead at 3-2. Following a tie, the Owls went on a 4-0 run to take an 8-4 lead. Aided by Paige Briggs, the Tops rebutted with a 4-0 run of their own to tie the set at eight. Rice then used a 3-0 run of their own to take a three-point lead back at 12-9. Matthews' 20th kill of the afternoon cut the deficit to two, but Rice shot back with a kill taking a 15-12 lead at the media break. Ashley Hood served an ace and the Tops cut the deficit to two, down 16-14. A net violation and a long attack brought WKU within one down 19-18. Isenbarger slammed the door on an Owl attack and the set was tied at 20. Paige Briggs 17th kill of the day gave WKU a 21-20 lead and forced Rice to burn a timeout. On a long rally, the Owls tied the set at 21 each. Rice then took the next two forcing the Tops to call time, trailing 23-21. Then again, Tops struck with two of their own out of the break tying things and 23 and causing the Owls to burn their final timeout. Rice garnered a kill out of the break for set point but fired it into the net, tied once again, this time at 24. The Tops and Owls once again exchanged points, sending the set to 25 apiece. Matthews fired a kill and the Tops had match point 26-25. A net violation on the Tops tied things at 26-all. A kill later and the Owls had set point 27-26. A kill from the Owls' outside hitter sent set four into the hands of Rice.
SET 5
The first point of the final set came off a Rice attack error, Kenadee Coyle followed up with a block and the Tops had an early 2-0 advantage. Rice got on the board with a kill, but Lauren Matthews responded with one of her own. Paige Briggs notched a kill giving WKU a 5-3 lead. Rice answered with three straight points to take a 6-5 lead. After an unsuccessful Owl challenge, the frame was knotted at six. Rice answered with back-to-back points leading 8-6 at the media break. Isenbarger secured her ninth kill of the match to bring the set within one, 8-7. Lauren Matthews' 26th kill brought the margin back to two down 11-9. The two teams rallied back-and-forth including final kills from Lauren Matthews and Paige Briggs, but an Owl kill saw Rice take match point, leading 14-11. A long strike over the back line from the Tops, and Rice took the match.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers will have a few days of practice over the next week before awaiting Selection Sunday to where they will be seated in the NCAA Tournament.
POST-MATCH NOTES
- WKU used the lineup of Paige Briggs, Katie Howard, Lauren Matthews, Katie Isenbarger, Kenadee Coyle, Callie Bauer, and Abby Schaefer. This is the 30th time this season Coach Hudson has used this combination.
- In the series, WKU is still holding the 10-4 edge over the Rice Owls as they leave the conference next season.
- Redshirt-freshman setter Callie Bauer saw a new career-high 63 assists in WKU's 69 kills over the afternoon.
- The Hilltoppers saw three players with double-digit kills: Lauren Matthews (27), Paige Briggs (20), and Katie Isenbarger (10), while gaining three players with hitting percentages over .300: Matthews (.407), Isenbarger (.368), and Kenadee Coyle (.333).
- Middle hitters Lauren Matthews and Katie Isenbarger, along with outside hitter Paige Briggs were named to the 2022 C-USA All-Tournament Team.
- The Hilltoppers now stand at 28-3, 2-1 in the post-season.
- Head coach Travis Hudson is now 721-221 across his career on the Hill.
- WKU Volleyball is now up to an all-time program record of 999-495.
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.
