SCHEDULE
Friday, September 2 – 10 a.m. CT | No. 22 WKU vs. DePaul | Stats | Watch | WKU Radio (ESPN 102.7 FM)
Friday, September 2 – 6 p.m. CT | at Bowling Green | Stats | Watch | WKU Radio (ESPN 102.7 FM)
Saturday, September 3 – 11 a.m. CT | No. 22 WKU vs. Northern Kentucky | Stats | Watch | WKU Radio (ESPN 102.7 FM)
No. 22 WKU sees DePaul Friday morning in Ohio. The Blue Demons have seen WKU four times, most recently in Chicago in 2009, where the Tops swept 3-0. DePaul is coming from a 19-12 2021 record, but having a rocky start to the new season at 0-3.
WKU faces off against host Bowling Green Friday night, September 2 at 6 p.m. CT. Having only met once, at the last Hampton Inn Invitational in 2019 as WKU topped the Falcons, 3-0. BGSU is coming off of a 21-9 season -- the second back-to-back seasons for Bowling Green with only single-digit losses.
The final match before next weekend's homestand will be an in-state rivalry contest between the Hilltoppers and Northern Kentucky inside the Stroh Center. Western first saw the Norse on The Hill in 2019 for the WKU Volleyball Invite. The match up was a Red and White victory, 3-2, inside Diddle Arena. NKU is currently 0-3 through one week in the season.
WKU Volleyball is posting a 3-1 record, with the sole loss coming to No. 3 Louisville for the Hilltoppers' home opener inside Diddle Arena Wednesday night. WKU brought in the largest regular-season attendance (3,811) on the evening, after posting the first 3-0 set sweep in their first three matches of the season since 2007.
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 22nd in the first weekk of AVCA 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 opened its 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.
- 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.
- Senior Paige Briggs joined the 1000-kills club Wednesday night in the match up against Louisville at Diddle Arena. The senior from Michigan recorded five kills in the game, before reaching the 1000 benchmark in the third frame.
- The Hilltoppers' program broke a program record for a regular-season attended match up. 3,811 fans packed on The Hill for the third-highest attendance in program history.
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
