Paige Briggs collects her fourth-straight preseason team recognition and first as the Preseason Player of the Year. Bauer, Cox, and Coyle earn mark their first appearance on the preseason roster, totaling four student-athletes from WKU -- the most of league history.
Bauer dawns the Red and White for her second season as starting setter. Earning the CUSA Freshman of the Year, she was also First Team All-Conference, Freshmen Team, and AVCA All-Region while putting up 1,236 assists. In the classroom, Bauer was also one of three Hilltoppers to be named to the league's All-Academic team in 2022.
Briggs was a First Team All-Conference, All-Academic, AVCA All-Region, and All-American Honorable Mention in the 2022 season. The Michigan native was also a two-time CUSA Offensive Player of the Week while tallying 3.75 kills a set and 58 blocks on the year.
Transfer Kaylee Cox wrapped up her sophomore campaign at Missouri playing in all 28 matches and totaling 387 kills, 80 blocks, and 37 service aces on the year. She was the first Missouri player to 30+ kills in a match since 2009 with her 34-kill outing against Ole Miss in 2022.
Coyle joins the list of Preseason All-Conference selections after her sophomore campaign on The Hill. The Bloomington, Ind. native hit .302 on the right side in 2022, picking up 193 kills and averaging .72 blocks on the season.
This year marks the second time WKU was picked first in the league, after the Hilltoppers were tabbed at the top in the delayed 2020 and 2021 seasons as East Division Champions. UTEP was tabbed with a first place vote this season.
2023 C-USA COACHES PRESEASON POLL & TEAM
2023 Conference USA Preseason Team
Syra Tanchin, FIU
Kamryn Bacus, Liberty
Delaney Dilfer, Liberty
McKenzie Johnson, LA Tech
Kayla Henley, Middle Tennessee
Adri Rhoda, Middle Tennessee
Mari Sharp, NM State
Ryleigh Whitekettle, NM State
Starr Williams, NM State
Hannah Baker, Sam Houston
Alianza Darley, UTEP
Torrance Lovesee, UTEP
Callie Bauer, WKU
Paige Briggs, WKU
Kaylee Cox, WKU
Kenadee Coyle, WKU
Preseason Player of the Year: Paige Briggs, WKU
C-USA 2023 Volleyball Preseason Poll:
1. WKU (8)
2. UTEP (1)
3. Liberty
4. NM State
5. Middle Tennessee
6. FIU
7. Sam Houston
8. Jax State
9. Louisiana Tech
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
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
