GAME INFO
- Location: Liberty Arena
- WKU vs. Liberty
- When: Nov. 14 (5 p.m. CT) & Nov. 15 (12 p.m. CT)
- Watch: Friday, Nov. 14 | Saturday, Nov. 15
- Follow: Friday, Nov. 14 | Saturday, Nov. 15
- Listen: The Varsity Network
ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU goes into the last week of the regular season tied for first in Conference USA with UTEP.
- Multiple Hilltoppers finished in double-digit kills against Delaware. Kaira Knox finished the match on Friday with 20 kills, while Alivia Skidmore and Izzy Van De Wiele finished with 14 and 15 kills respectively. On Saturday, Van De Wiele posted her second straight match with double-digit kills, finishing with 13.
- WKU continued to rake in the CUSA Player of the Week accolades with Izzy Van De Wiele earning Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. She had arguably the best two-match performance of the season in the seven-set sweep of the Blue Hens, finishing with 15 total blocks including four solo stuffs. The Iowa native posted an average of 2.14 blocks per set and was responsible for almost 70% of WKU's total blocks against Delaware. Putting together an all-around performance, she also finished with the second most kills on the weekend, 28, with a staggering .480 hitting percentage and an incredible 4.00 kills per set. Van De Wiele's 28 kills also accounted for almost 27% of WKU's total kills over the weekend while only committing four hitting errors on 50 total attacks.
- WKU is all over the Top 10 in CUSA statistical categories, leading in points (18.37/set), hitting percentage (.305), assists (13.53/set), kills (14.48/set), opponent service aces (1.01/set), and is second in opponent blocks (1.69/set).
- On the national stage, WKU is ranked in kills per set (6th, 14.46), assists per set (5th, 13.52), hitting percentage (5th, .305), opponent hitting percentage (22nd, 0.169). Individually, Faith Young is ranked 35th in hitting percentage (.388), Callie Bauer is ranked 40th in assists per set (10.07), and Izzy Van De Wiele is 48th in blocks per set (1.28).
SERIES INFORMATION
- The Hilltoppers are 5-0 all-time against Liberty. WKU is also 2-0 against the Flames when playing in Lynchburg, Va.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
- Liberty is currently 20-7 overall and is 8-6 in conference play. The Flames started their season 12-1 including a win over Power Five opponent, Houston.
- Jenna Otts leads the team with 361 kills and an average of 3.50 points per set.
- Paige Overcash was named CUSA's Offensive Player of the Week three weeks straight to open the 2025 season. She currently has 351 kills and a .261 hitting percentage. Over those three weeks, she posted a .422 hitting percentage with a total of 137 kills. Overcash is also ranked ninth in hitting percentage (.305) and ninth in kills per set (3.28/set).
- At the net, Lainey Daniell leads Liberty with a total of 0.83 blocks per set adding to a total of 84 blocks overall.
- Anchoring the back row is Carly O'Brien with a total of 326 digs and averaging 2.99 digs per set.
- Alison Bierwagen, Liberty's starting setter, is fifth in assists per set (7.15) and third in service aces per set (0.43).
