SCHEDULE
Friday, August 26 – 10 a.m. CT | No. 21 WKU vs. Miami (OH) | Stats | WKU Radio (ESPN 102.7 FM)
Friday, August 26 – 6:30 p.m. CT | at Bradley | Stats | Watch | WKU Radio (ESPN 102.7)
Saturday, August 27 – 1 p.m. CT | No. 21 WKU vs. Kansas City | Stats | WKU Radio (98.3 FM The EDGE)
No. 21 WKU will play its first match against Miami (OH) on Friday morning on August 26. A struggle of a 2021 campaign for the Redhawks in 7-21, Miami and WKU have met nine times. The last coming from a Tops 3-1 victory at the Holiday Inn Invitational inside Diddle Arena in 2018.
WKU faces off against host Bradley Friday night, August 26 at 6:30 p.m. CT. Under new head coach Alicia Williams, the Braves lead the all-time series 4-1 over the Tops. The last meeting occurred in 1998, where Bradley topped the Hilltoppers three sets to one at the Tiger Invitational in Columbia, Mo. Bradley tied for third in the Missouri Valley last season and elevated to the second-round of the NIVC.
The Red and White's final match of the weekend comes against Kansas City on Saturday, August 27. This is the first time in program history both teams have matched up. Kansas City completed its 2021 season with an 21-10 record and selected sixth in the Summit League's preseason coaches' poll.
WKU Volleyball is coming off a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament in their 2021 campaign. They finished 28-2 on the season with the only losses coming to Ole Miss in September and in the NCAA Tournament No. 8 seed Georgia Tech.
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU has been predicted to win the conference title in the Conference USA Preseason Poll voted by the league's coaches. Paige Briggs, Katie Isenbarger, and Lauren Matthews were all selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team. Matthews was tabbed Preseason Player of the Year. After meeting in last year's tournament championship, Rice was predicted to finish second.
- WKU Volleyball was ranked 21st in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Hilltoppers have now ranked in the top 25 in 11 of the last 12 seasons and received votes for 12 consecutive campaigns.
- WKU will open a season ranked for just the fifth time in program history during the 2022 fall campaign, also marking the second 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 and No. 16 to kick off fall 2021. 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.
- Last season, WKU owned a 28-2 overall record after earning the Conference USA regular season title and C-USA Tournament Championship, only suffering one regular season loss. The Hilltoppers opened play in the NCAA with a 3-0 sweep of South Carolina before succumbing to No. 8 seed Georgia Tech in the second round in Atlanta.
- Posting national honors, fifth-year senior Lauren Matthews led the NCAA in hitting percentage (.480) in 2021. The middle hitter averaged 4.54 kills per set and ranks first in career hitting percentage (.428) among active players.
- Anchoring into his 28th year on The Hill, head coach Travis Hudson is the longest current tenured head coach at WKU, and long serving in the volleyball program. Hudson is a four-time C-USA Coach of the Year, seven-time AVCA South Region Coach of the Year, holds 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 22 consecutive 20-win seasons, second longest in the NCAA.
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
