MATCH INFO
- WKU vs Missouri State | Friday, Oct. 2 | 6 PM CT
- Tickets | Watch | Live Stats | Listen
- WKU vs Missouri State | Saturday, Oct. 3 | 1 PM CT
- Tickets | Watch | Live Stats | Listen
- Notes: WKU | MSU
AT THE MATCH
- Last Saturday at New Mexico State, head coach Travis Hudson matched former WKU Baseball coach Joel Murrie's 815 career wins, the most in a single sport in WKU Athletics History.
- With a win this weekend, Hudson will pass Murrie as the all-time single sport wins leader in WKU Athletics History. E.A. Diddle is the all-time wins leader in WKU Athletics history with 1,029 (759 Men's Basketball, 232 Baseball, 38 Football).
- Friday is Mental Health Awareness Night. Fans are encouraged to wear green in support.
- Saturday is Community Day. Fans can explore what Bowling Green has to offer with a pre-match tabling event involving the local community.
- Trading Cards: Friday (Izzie Delacher), Saturday (Sonja Laaksonen).
- The full promotional schedule can be viewed HERE.
- Tickets to the matches can be purchased HERE.
ABOUT THE TOPS
- The Hilltoppers enter the weekend with an 8-6 mark, including a 2-0 record in CUSA play after a pair of road wins over New Mexico State.
- The Hilltoppers won in four sets on Friday and pulled a reverse sweep in the match last Saturday, the first in 15 years. The last time WKU achieved such a feat was against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 11, 2011.
- Kaira Knox paced the WKU offense in the two wins, logging 18 kills on Friday and matched a career best of 22 in the win on Saturday.
- Kate Rush managed a new career best in assists Saturday. The setter managed 63 on the day, marking a career best and the most in a match since Callie Bauer logged 67 last season.
- A trio of Hilltoppers earned CUSA weekly honors this past Monday. Knox was named Offensive Player of the Week, Rush was named Setter of the Week, and Eliza McKnight was Freshman of the Week.
- WKU currently has 693 kills, 631 assists, and 105 service aces with a .280 hitting percentage. Kaira Knox has tallied a team best 171 kills for an average of 3.17/set.
- Defensively, the Hilltoppers have totaled 639 digs and 98 total blocks. Tayler Baron is the team leader in digs with 231 (4.28/set). Faith Young leads the blocking effort with 34 total blocks.
- The Hilltoppers are currently boasting the best hitting percentage in the league. The .280 mark is also No. 17 in all of NCAA DI.
- Faith Young continues to lead the league in hitting, operating at a .417 clip. That also ranks in the top-25 in the nation.
- Kate Rush's 544 assists in 2026 lead CUSA and rank in the top-10 nationally, slated at No. 9.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
- Missouri State enters the weekend at 11-3 and 2-0 in CUSA play after sweeping FIU at home over the weekend.
- The Bears have logged 700 kills on 1,844 total attempts and post a .247 hitting percentage. The team has totaled 646 assists and 72 service aces.
- On the defensive side of the net, the team has notched 802 digs and have stuffed a total of 120 blocks.
- Rilynn Finley is the offensive leader, tallying 161 kills for an average of 3.29/set. Halle Rillie has posted 280 assists, averaging 5.49/set. Brooke Eslinger and Riley Ourth both lead the way at the service line with 15 aces each.
- Eslinger is anchoring the back line with 208 total digs and an average of 4.08/set. Chloe Judd has stuffed 65 blocks. 56 of her 65 are block assists.
SERIES HISTORY
- Friday will be the sixth ever meeting between the Hilltoppers and Bears.
- WKU holds a 4-1 advantage over Missouri State in the series dating back to 2014.
- The two met last season in Springfield in the Bears' first season in CUSA. WKU won both in a 3-1 and 3-0 decision, respectively.
- The two have only played in Bowling Green one time, the lone win for Missouri State in the series, a 3-2 loss on Sept. 11, 2015.
2026 CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2026 CUSA Volleyball Tournament is coming to Bowling Green, Ky. Action from E.A. Diddle Arena runs Friday-Sunday, Nov. 20-22. Tickets will go on sale starting October 15.
FOLLOW THE TOPS
For complete information on WKU Volleyball, follow the team on X @WKUVolleyball and head coach Travis Hudson @TravisHudsonWKU. The team is also on Instagram and Facebook.
