BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Volleyball fans in the Commonwealth are in for a treat Thursday night as WKU and Kentucky square off in a top 25 showdown exhibition at historic Rupp Arena in Lexington. There's no doubt most fans would pay to see the teams meet again but the 2023 preseason tune-up will be free admission for everyone Thursday. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
As the Wildcats' primary volleyball court is placed inside Memorial Coliseum, due to 2023 renovations, their season has been moved inside Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington. The match will be free admission to all fans, with free parking also provided by UK Athletics at the Rupp Arena parking lots surrounding the arena.
This marks the fifth season in the last six years the Wildcats and Hilltoppers have met in a preseason exhibition with locations altering each year. During that span the squads have also met three times in the NCAA Tournament, including a quick rematch from the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Memorial. The Red and White will enter the match up with an AVCA Preseason ranking at No. 24 while 2020 national champion, Kentucky, was ranked tenth in the coaches poll.
Three newcomers are set to make their Red and White debut on the court, as Paige Briggs is using her fifth-year of eligibility to embark on potentially five NCAA Tournament visits -- the first of any Hilltopper.
WKU Volleyball earned an AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll ranking of No. 24, the organization announced Tuesday. The Hilltoppers have now ranked in the top 25 in 12 of the last 13 seasons and received votes for 14 consecutive campaigns.
The Hilltoppers open the 2023 campaign on Friday, August 25 at the Dayton-hosted Dayton Invitational with a 10 a.m. CT tilt against No, 12 Marquette. After playing three matches up in Ohio, WKU will host its home opener on Tuesday, August 29 against Belmont.
Flexible season ticket packages are on sale now and include 15 vouchers that fans can use at any regular-season home match in whatever fashion they choose. Fans can opt for the traditional use of one ticket for all 15 home matches or bring a group to a few matches. Flexible ticket packages are available for $50 at WKUTickets.com, by calling 1-800-5-BIGRED or by coming to the WKU Ticket Office during regular business hours.
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.
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
