JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – WKU Volleyball started its weekend on a high note Friday with a two-match sweep against High Point and East Tennessee State University.
The Hilltoppers (5-2 overall) swung a blistering .391 against the Buccaneers (3-5 overall), tallying 45 total kills, while WKU's defense held the Panthers (2-5 overall) to a .040 hitting percentage and recorded 52 digs in the match.
HIGH POINT: 3-0
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: 25-21
WKU dominated the first frame of the day, going on a 10-3 scoring run to stretch the score from a 7-7 tie to 16-10. During that run, junior outside hitter Kendall Meller collected three kills; senior setter Callie Bauer and sophomore middle hitter Faith Young were responsible for two blocks each; and freshman right side Kaira Knox recorded a service ace. The Panthers were held to a measly .048 hitting percentage, finishing the frame with only 10 kills, while WKU's defense racked up 17 total digs and five total blocks.
Set 2: 25-17
WKU did not allow High Point to lead for the remainder of the match, as Young paced all Hilltoppers with five kills. WKU improved its hitting percentage from .140 [15-9-43] to .262 [16-5-42]. In addition, the WKU defense limited the Panthers' offense to only eight kills on 41 total attempts and forced seven attack errors (.241 hitting percentage). The Hilltopper defense was arguably the highlight of the set, racking up 21 digs, with sophomore libero Tayler Baron and senior defensive specialist Abby Schaefer leading with 10 digs each.
Set 3: 25-19
The third set was the best for the Hilltopper offense, finishing with a match-high hitting percentage of .286 [14-4-35] and leading by as many as nine. Sophomore outside hitter Alivia Skidmore swung for .667 [4-0-6] and collected a team-high four kills in the final frame. At the net, WKU recorded five team blocks, led by sophomore middle hitter Izzy Van De Wiele with three.
ETSU: 3-0
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: 25-21
The Tops came out strong in set one, with Knox dominating the right side—going 5-for-6 (.833) with no errors—and Skidmore right behind her, hitting .250 with four kills of her own. Freshman setter Kate Rush and Meller were responsible for two solo blocks, while Bauer and junior middle hitter Gabby Weihe combined for the final block. WKU trailed until a kill from Knox knotted the match at 9-9. Coming out of the media timeout, WKU went on a 5-1 run to go up 18-16 thanks to a Buccaneer attack error. ETSU tied the set again at 18-18, but WKU proceeded to score seven to ETSU's three to take the first frame.
Set 2: 25-21
WKU only improved in set two, increasing its hitting percentage from .346 to .353. Skidmore came alive, hitting a blistering .462 thanks to six kills on 13 swings with no errors. At the net, both she and Weihe collected two blocks each. In the back row, Knox led with five digs. WKU went on a 10-4 scoring run—at one point scoring seven straight—to extend its lead to as many as five and never ceded it for the rest of the frame. ETSU hit only .135 [11-6-37], as the Hilltoppers' defense racked up 19 digs and three team blocks.
Set 3: 25-14
WKU's offense committed only two errors on 32 swings to post a match-high .469 clip. ETSU's only lead was at 5-4 before WKU tied it up at 5-5 and held the lead the rest of the way. Young and Weihe were responsible for eight of the Tops' 17 kills, hitting .667 and .800, respectively. The Hilltoppers dominated at the net, securing five team blocks, while ETSU did not record a single block. Young accounted for two of those team blocks, finishing with three in the set.
NOTABLES
- WKU finished the day with 101 kills across both matches, 21 blocks, and 93 digs.
- Alivia Skidmore led with 20 kills, while Kaira Knox was right behind her with 19.
- Faith Young dominated the net with 10 total blocks and also finished with 19 kills.
- WKU hit .297 compared to opponents' .106.
- Five different players finished with double-digit digs, with Tayler Baron leading with 19.
- Faith Young finished with six blocks against High Point; the last player to do so was Kaylee Cox on Nov. 26, 2024, against UTEP.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers will wrap up their time in Johnson City, Tenn., on Saturday with a match against VCU. First serve is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT.
