A single-elimination event, CUSA Tournament action would continue on Saturday for the Hilltoppers with a win as the winner of Friday's match will face the winner of UTEP and Liberty at 10 a.m. CT on day two of the tournament. A win on Saturday would advance the Red and White to Sunday's championship match, slated for 11 a.m. CT in Lynchburg, Va.
All CUSA Tournament matches will be available on ESPN+, with Kyle West and Erin Hagen on the call, and Allison Mullet on courtside.
As is the case for every Hilltopper match this season, all the action will also be available on the radio with Brad Klein on the play-by-play call. Any matches the Hilltoppers play from Liberty Arena this weekend, will air on the Varsity Network App.
C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Friday, November 17 - Quarterfinals
Match 1: WKU (1) vs. Jax State (8) – 10 a.m. CT
Match 2: UTEP (4) vs. Liberty (5) –12 p.m. CT
Match 3: NM State (2) vs. LA Tech (7) – 3 p.m. CT
Match 4: Middle Tennessee (3) vs. FIU (6) – 5 p.m. CT
Saturday, November 18 - Semifinals
Match 5: Match #1 Winner vs. Match #2 Winner – 10 a.m. CT
Match 6: Match #3 Winner vs. Match #4 Winner – 12:30 p.m. CT
Sunday, November 19 - Championship
Match 7: Match #5 Winner vs. Match #6 Winner – 11 a.m. CT
WKU's all-time record against their first-round opponent, Jacksonville State, is set at 2-0, in favor of the Red and White, as the Hilltoppers and Gamecocks met for the first time now being conference opponents. Jax State came to Diddle Arena in October, two matches that resulted in sweeps for the Tops and a combined .295 hitting clip. This season, Jax State owns a 5-21 record including a 3-13 mark in C-USA play.
Since joining C-USA prior to the 2014 campaign, WKU holds an overall record of 21-2 in the league's tournament. The Hilltoppers are 7-1 in tournament championship matches, winning seven of the nine possible championships as a C-USA member entering the 2023 event. In total, WKU has claimed 16 of 18 possible regular season and tournament championships entering the upcoming tournament.
The Hilltoppers closed the regular season with a 26-4 overall record, which included a 16-0 mark in league play to secure their ninth regular season championship in the conference. Entering the tournament, the Tops have won their last 21 matches.
As a team, the Red and White are nationally ranked third in total offense, operating at a .308 combined hitting clip, just below Stanford and Wisconsin in offense. Fifth-year Paige Briggs leads the conference in aces/set, kills/set, points/set, total points, and total kills. She also owns the WKU program record for most kills in a match (35), and most aces in a match (10) this season.
The Tops have claimed the No. 22 spot in this week's AVCA rankings, after taking care of CUSA no. 2 Middle Tennessee to close out the regular season. WKU has now been ranked or received votes, dating back into the 2019 campaign.
TOP STORYLINES
- The Hilltoppers clinched the CUSA regular-season title weekend against FIU. It is their fifth-straight regular-season championship and ninth of 10 possible championships since joining the league.
- WKU hasn't lost a regular-season conference match since 2018, leading a 74-match win streak that is the longest active streak in the nation.
- The Tops saw numerous receive post-season recognition. Freshmen Gabby Weihe, Izzy Van De Wiele, and Logan Grevengoed were tabbed to the All-Freshman team. Kenadee Coyle earned Second Team All-Conference, while Paige Briggs, Callie Bauer, and Kaylee Cox garnered First Team All-Conference honors.
- Fifth-year Paige Briggs earned the Alyssa Cavanaugh Player of the Year award this week, while head coach Travis Hudson won his sixth CUSA Coach of the Year title. In a stellar rookie season, redshirt-freshman Logan Grevengoed was tabbed Freshman of the Year by Conference USA.
- Last week, Callie Bauer was named to the CUSA All-Academic team – the second honor of her career. The Tops have seen a student-athlete on the team ever year since joining the league.
- 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.
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.
