BOWLING GREEN, KY. --WKU Volleyball quickly got to work on Saturday and swept Kennesaw State for the second match in a row. The Tops (11-6 overall, 4-0 CUSA) have now won 21-straight sets in seven matches and have outscored opponents 529-364 dating back to the match against Arkansas State on Sept. 20.Â
It was the performance at both the net and the service line that put the Tops over the Owls (4-11 overall, 1-3 CUSA) as the Hilltoppers combined for 17 points with service aces (9) and team blocks (8). Senior outside hitter Kaylee Cox led the charge at the service line with five service aces while sophomore middle hitter Izzy Van De Wiele led at the net with five blocks. Attacking efficiency was also crucial during the match as the Hilltoppers posted a .359 hitting percentage with only eight attacking errors while KSU hit a meager .111 with 20 attacking errors.Â
HOW IT HAPPENEDÂ
Set 1: 25-23Â
The opening set of Saturday's match was back-and-forth as the point difference between the two teams was never bigger than four points. Kennesaw State collected more kills (14) than the Hilltoppers (13), but four team blocks and seven attack errors from the Owls helped the Tops claim the set. Cox led the offense with five kills and a .300 [5-2-10] hitting percentage while redshirt junior setter Callie Bauer added four kills of her own. At the net, Van De Wiele led with two solo blocks and a total of four blocks.Â
Set 2: 25-12Â
The Hilltoppers stunned at the service line in the penultimate set, registering six service aces bring the match total to seven. Cox led with four in the set, with three of those coming during a 7-0 scoring run to open the second. In addition, the Hilltoppers' offense offensive output increased, going from a .379 hitting percentage in set one to a .444 hitting percentage in set two. Both junior middle hitter Gabby Weihe and freshman pin hitter Alivia Skidmore added three kills each to their totals while Bauer grabbed three more digs. Â
Set 3: 25-15Â
While the third set was quieter offensively, the Hilltoppers only needed 24 minutes to take the win in set three. Van De Wiele came alive in the front row, adding three more kills to her total, hitting for a .750 [3-0-4] hitting clip in the third set alone. At the net, both her and senior rightside hitter Kenadee Coyle added one block each to their totals. Both Bauer and Cox added two more service aces to bring the team total to nine.Â
NOTABLESÂ
- Saturday's match was only the second time the Hilltoppers have recorded more than eight service aces this seasonÂ
- Kaylee Cox and Izzy Van De Wiele led in kills with sevenÂ
- Kaylee Cox also led in digs with ten while Callie Bauer led in assists with 25Â
NEXT UPÂ
WKU continues its homestand with two matches against Middle Tennessee. The first match is on Tuesday, Oct. 8 with first serve set for 6 p.m.Â
