Redshirt-sophomore setter Callie Bauer marked a perfect afternoon at the net, earning nine kills – tied for most of the match along with Logan Grevengoed – off of 16 attempts for a .563 hitting clip. The Michigan native also added along 32 assists and a dig for her 36th match in the Red and White.
Set 1
Bouncing back from last night, the Hilltoppers and Bulldogs went after it, starting off the first frame with a rally until a strong 6-1 run wagered a 18-11 Tops match. In the run, Callie Bauer shot back-to-back setter dump kills over the net faking the Bulldog defense in the front line. Katie Howard would pick up one of her two service aces while Paige Briggs cut down for a kill on the outside. Back-to-back kills off of Briggs would have the Hilltoppers reach 20, while a varied rally between both teams would end with a Kaylee Cox solo block at the net to end the set.
Set 2
The Tops and Bulldogs were even keeled, staying within one point until a fiery 4-0 run featuring two Logan Grevengoed kills and a kill from Cox landed the scoreboard at 7-4. WKU would wager their lead even more with another 3-point push with kills from Bauer, Briggs, and another ace from Howard. After a 20-13 Hilltopper lead, Drake would pull through on four straight with two blocks and two Hilltopper attacking errors. Western Kentucky would break their streak off of a Callie Bauer dump over the net for a kill and a Paige Briggs service ace. The Tops would pull off a 3-1 streak to finalize the match with a Grevengoed kill.
Set 3
WKU would keep it mellow on the court as the two opponents would stay even on the board. The Tops would take off from a 3-0 run, ending it with a Cox kill on the right side. A block from Logan Grevengoed and Callie Bauer would mark an, 11-8 lead and one of five team blocks throughout the contest. WKU would drop their guard slightly, back-and-forth action then a late 2-0 rally from Drake let to a 17-17 match with more points to go. More 2-0 rallies on both sides would jump a set tied at 20 points apiece. The Hilltoppers from Bowling Green would push out a 3-0 run to advance closer to 25, including more kills from Cox and Briggs. The match and frame would be heavy offensively for the Hilltoppers, as they collectively hit .433 in the frame for a 25-22 final score.
SCHEDULE
Friday, August 25 – No. 24 WKU def. No. 12 Marquette, 3-1
Friday, August 25 – Dayton def. No. 24 WKU, 3-0
Saturday, August 26 – No. 24 WKU def. Drake, 3-0
POST-MATCH NOTES
- Revamping with a new slate after a group of five seniors, including Lauren Matthews and Katie Isenbarger graduated, WKU started Callie Bauer, Paige Briggs, Kaylee Cox, Kenadee Coyle, Logan Grevengoed, Gabby Weihe, and redshirt-sophomore Kelsey Brangers in at libero.
- Saturday's meeting was the third between the sides in program history, as WKU leads with a 3-0 all-time series record.
- Kaylee Cox and Logan Grevengoed would both operate at .389 hitting clips, Grevengoed notching nine kill and Cox with eight on the afternoon.
- From the service line, both Paige Briggs and Katie Howard collected two aces for four from the Hilltoppers side, against the Bulldogs' one.
- Paige Briggs gained two service aces, while Kaylee Cox picked up one.
- The Hilltoppers will be back at home for their Tuesday night home opening match against Belmont at 6 p.m. CT.
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.
