AT THE GAME
- WKU Match Tickets
- 8/29 vs. Wright State: First Serve
- 8/29 vs. Loyola-Chicago: Block Party (Callahan Wiegandt Trading Card Giveaway)
- 8/30 vs. Drake: Mental Health Awareness & Green Out (Faith Young Trading Card Giveaway)
- Location: E.A. Diddle Arena
- Watch: ESPN+
- Listen: The Varsity Network
- Parking:
- Friday (8/29): Parking will be available in Parking Structure 2, please inform the parking attendant you are there for volleyball.
- Saturday (8/30): Parking will be available in Parking Structure 1.
- Live Stats
- The Hilltoppers return eight players from their 2024 squad including 2024 CUSA Setter of the Year, Callie Bauer. Bauer returns for the 2025 season after finishing the 2024 season leading the conference in assists and also ranking third nationally (1,387).
- In addition to Bauer, WKU welcomes back one of the top blockers in the country in Izzy Van De Wiele. Van De Wiele finished tied for fourth in the country in total blocks (177) and 17th in blocks per set (1.40). Her 1.40 blocks per set also set a WKU program record in single-season blocks per set.
- Alivia Skidmore returns as the top hitter for the Hilltoppers, she finished with 344 kills on the season and averaged 2.82 kills per set.
- WKU welcomed six newcomers earlier this year, a total of four freshman and two transfers.
"Game week for us is here," said Head Coach Travis Hudson. "It's going to be a really challenging week for us. We haven't opened in Diddle... I don't know if we've done that, I can't remember the last time we opened in Diddle. We had an opportunity to get these high-level teams here opening weekend, so we had to make it work. Three teams that are a lot like us. They're all three mid-majors like us, they're high-level teams. They all won 20-plus last year. All of them are in the Top 60, 70 RPI. It's a great opportunity to start building that RPI again early on. Three great programs, three quality coaches, should be a lot of fun."
Travis Hudson Press Conference
SERIES INFORMATION
- Wright State: The Tops are 2-3 overall against Wright State, and this will be the first time WKU welcomes the Raiders to Diddle Arena.
- Loyola-Chicago: WKU faced the Ramblers in 2024 at the Kathy Deboer Invitational at Michigan State, taking that match 3-1. Overall, WKU is 3-2 when playing LUC and is 0-1 at home.
- Drake: This is the fourth meeting between the programs with WKU leading, 3-0. The two teams have only ever met on neutral territory and Saturday's match will be the first match against the Bulldogs at home.
- Raiders
- Wright State was picked to win the Horizon League for the fifth time in six years. The Raiders finished the 2024 season with a 24-7 record.
- Mya Ayro returns as the second-best hitter for the Raiders with a total of 366 kills on the season. On the back row, Lauren Yacobucci returns as starting setter and also finished second in digs with 290.
- Yacobucci also led the country in assists per set (13.75) while Wright State ranked third in kills per set (14.53).
- Wright State finished the 2024 season ranked #55 in RPI.
- Ramblers
- LUC finished the 2024 season ranked #50 in RPI.
- Senior middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes returns to the Ramblers ranked third-best in kills (251) after the 2024 season.
- Loyola-Chicago was picked to finish third in the 2025 A10 Preseason Coaches Poll.
- The Ramblers had a historic 2024 season winning their second-ever A10 Tournament title after sweeping then-No. 18 Dayton. Earning the A10's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, LUC also swept #24 BYU for their first-ever NCAA Tournament win.
- Bulldogs
- The Bulldogs finished the 2024 season ranked #69 in RPI.
- Drake finished second in the country in team attacks per set (40.04) and seventh in digs per set (18.14).
- Daufeldt finished the 2024 season as the MVC Co-Player of the Year, All-MCY First Team, and was an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. She finished the season with 484 kills, 34 service aces, a total of 560.5 points, and returns to the Bulldogs for the 2025 season.
- Drake was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference while Macy Daufeldt was picked Preseason All-MVC. The Bulldogs finished the 2024 season with a 20-10 record.
