LEXINGTON, Ky. – Volleyball fans in the Commonwealth were in for a treat Thursday night as No. 10 Kentucky hosted No. 24-ranked WKU for a free preseason exhibition. The showdown would ultimately end in a 3-1 win for the Wildcats.
Kentucky won the first (25-19), third (25-21), and fourth (25-18) sets, while The Hilltoppers took the second (26-24) set. The two in-state foes squared off in historic Rupp Arena in front of 1,389 fans as the Wildcats' home court, Memorial Coliseum, undergoes renovation.
"This was something really cool," shared WKU head coach Travis Hudson. "I remember being a young boy watching Wildcat Basketball and being in Rupp Arena as a fan, to now coach volleyball in it, it's unbelievable. Tonight was a great opportunity for us to see who can grind in the lineup."
All 13 players on the Hilltoppers' 2023 roster saw exhibition action. Kaylee Cox worked to lead the Hilltoppers in kills and digs, while Izzy Van De Wiele tied with Cox in block assists in the four-set match up.
Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner and WKU's Hudson agreed on running the exhibition in a cooperative format that saw each squad gain experience and find weaknesses. Per agreement between the sides, full stats will not be released from the match.
The Hilltoppers are just over a week out from opening the 2023 campaign on Friday, August 25 at the Dayton-hosted Dayton Invitational with a 10 a.m. CT tilt against No. 12 Marquette.
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.
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