WKU Volleyball Hosts Inaugural Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic

Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic // Sept. 15-16 // Diddle Arena
Match 12: Ball State (2-7)	Fri., Sept. 15 \| 11 a.m. CT \| ESPN+ \| Varsity Radio Network // Listen Live \| Livestats
Match 13: East Tennessee State (0-8)	Fri., Sept. 15 \| 6 p.m. CT \| ESPN+ \| Varsity Radio Network // Listen Live \| Livestats
Match 14: Western Michigan (9-1)	Sat., Sept. 16 \| 1:30 p.m. CT \| ESPN+ \| Varsity Radio Network // Listen Live \| Livestats
Tickets	Flexible Ticket Package \| CAVANAUGH CLASSIC DEAL: $7 ticket, good for the whole weekend!
Promotions	Ball State: Free admission \| EDUCATION DAY ETSU: First 250 fans receive no. 7 Alyssa replica jersey towel Western Michigan: First 250 fans receive no. 7 Alyssa replica jersey towel
Game Notes	WKU \| Ball State \| ETSU \| Western Michigan
Series History	Ball State: Series tied, 1-1 ETSU: WKU leads, 6-2 Western Michigan: WKU leads, 2-1
Social Media	@WKUVolleyball \| @WKU Volleyball \| Facebook \| YouTube \| Tik Tok

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- [RV] WKU Volleyball hosts its final preseason tournament and inaugural Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic, named after the Hilltopper legend, on Sept. 15-16. The Tops are holding onto a 7-4 record as they hit the middle of a three-week home stretch. The Hilltoppers will play three matches over the course of the weekend against Ball State, East Tennessee State and Western Michigan.

All matches will be streamed on ESPN+ with Scott Thompson on play-by-play. Ken Marshall will be behind the mic on color for Friday's matches, while four-time All-American Jessica Lucas will be the color analyst for WKU's match up against Western Michigan Saturday. As is the case for every Hilltopper match this season, all the action will also be available on the Varsity Radio Network with Reily Chestnut on the play-by-play call.

The morning Ball State match with WKU along with the other neutral matches in Diddle Arena will be free admission. Fans should note the general admission seating structure for the morning match will be slightly altered due to Education Day and school seating. Fans can park in Parking Structure 2 (located between the football stadium and E.A. Diddle Arena) and enter through the Gate 2 entrance.

FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday
11 a.m. CT - WKU hosts Ball State (Free Admission)
1 p.m. CT – ETSU (H) vs. Western Michigan (A) (Free Admission)
6 p.m. CT – WKU hosts East Tennessee State

Saturday
11 a.m. CT – Ball State (H) vs. ETSU (A) (Free Admission)
1:30 p.m. CT – WKU hosts Western Michigan

WKU will open tournament play against 2022 NCAA Tournament contender Ball State Friday morning for the program's first education day match. Having an all-time tied series, the Cardinals and Hilltoppers have not met since 2006, as Ball State posted a 2-7 2023 record under Kelli Miller-Phillips.

For the nightcap, WKU will face East Tennessee State who has been through a tough 0-8 stretch into the season. A veteran Buccaneers squad, ETSU sees 10 upperclassman to five freshmen on their 2023 roster.

The Red and White's final match of the weekend comes against Western Michigan at 1:30 p.m. The Broncos are posting a steady 9-1 record with a win from 2022 NCAA contender Northern Iowa and Power Five victories against Michigan and Wake Forest thus far in the season. Western Michigan is hitting .246 on the season, while WKU is posting .266 offensively.

WKU went 2-1 through last weekend's Holiday Inn-University Plaza Invitational, including sweeps over Troy and College of Charleston. The Tops went five sets with No. 17 Arkansas Friday night, just succumbing 12-15 as they outhit and out-blocked the Razorbacks. The Hilltoppers' final midweek of the non-conference season, WKU swept Austin Peay in Clarksville that concluded with double-doubles for Kaylee Cox and Callie Bauer.

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 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.

Single match tickets are available at only entrance 2 on game day. Save 20% on single-match tickets when you buy online in advance.

TOP STORYLINES

WKU has been predicted to win the conference title in the Conference USA Preseason Poll voted by the league's coaches. Callie Bauer, Paige Briggs, Kaylee Cox, and Kenadee Coyle, were all selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team. Briggs was tabbed Preseason Player of the Year. After a third place finish in 2022, UTEP was predicted to finish second.
WKU Volleyball received votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week. Up in the ranks earlier this season, the Hilltoppers have now been ranked in the top 25 in 12 of the last 13 seasons and received votes for 13 consecutive campaigns.
The Tops went 2-1 on the weekend, picking up two more sweeps in the process. Paige Briggs hit a season-high 21 kills in WKU's slight fall to No. 17 Arkansas in five sets where they outhit and out-blocked the Razorbacks.
WKU's final non-conference midweek match of the season, the Tops traveled to Austin Peay where they swept the Govenors. Kaylee Cox and Callie Bauer performed to the tune of double-doubles -- the first match to see two players earn it this season.
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.
Picking up a 7-4 record so far on the year, the Hilltoppers picked up their first win in 2023 with a marquee 3-1 victory over No. 12 Marquette in Dayton, Ohio. It was the first Top-15 win for the Red and White since 2015.
Staying in Diddle Arena, the Tops opened up their home slate in August with a midweek sweep over Belmont, which drew in 2,167 fans around the court.

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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Players Mentioned

Callie Bauer

Paige Briggs

Kaylee Cox

Kenadee Coyle