TOURNAMENT INFO
- McLin Gymnasium | Dayton, Ohio
- Notes: WKU | Dayton
- Ball State | Thursday, Sept. 3 | 5 PM CT
- Wright State | Friday, Sept. 4 | 5 PM CT
- Dayton | Saturday, Sept. 5 | 12 PM CT
ABOUT THE TOPS
- Last weekend, WKU played in the SEMO Tournament and finished 2-1 with a pair of three set wins over SEMO.
- The Hilltoppers thus far have tallied 115 kills, 97 assists, and post a .345 hitting percentage.
- Defensively, WKU has tallied 15 total blocks, 94 digs, and held opponents to a .205 attack mark.
- The Hilltoppers return 10 from the 2025 CUSA Championship squad that finished 27-6 (15-1 CUSA), including CUSA Defensive Player of the Year Izzy Van De Wiele and Freshman of the Year, Kaira Knox.
- The four additions to the roster include sophomore transfer from Houston, Aubrey Sears. Three freshmen come to The Hill for 2026 in Izzie Delacher, Cali Foster, and Eliza McKnight.
- Kate Rush headlined action for WKU at the Tournament. Rush tallied 16 kills, 81 assists, 18 digs, eight service aces, and two blocks, and a combined hitting percentage of .455.
- Rush logged a career high 40 assists in a 3-0 win over SEMO on Saturday and had eight digs, five kills, and a block to go with it. Friday, Rush managed five service aces, a career best, and added 22 assists, seven kills, six digs, and two blocks.
- Rush was named Conference USA Setter of the Week following her weekend at the SEMO Tournament.
- Three Hilltoppers logged 20+ kills over the weekend in Kaira Knox (26), Faith Young (23), and Alivia Skidmore (21).
- On Saturday, freshman Eliza McKnight logged a team best 12 kills, two blocks, and an assist, highlighted by a .647% attack mark. Her hitting percentage marks the best in a match by a freshman since Knox finished with a .737 mark against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 31, 2025.
- As a team Saturday, WKU finished with eight service aces, the most in a match since a 3-0 win over UTEP on Oct. 25, 2025. Knox served up a career best three aces in the effort.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
- Ball State enters the weekend with a 2-0 mark after securing wins over Notre Dame and Xavier last weekend.
- The Cardinals hold a .204 hitting percentage with 118 kills and 112 total assists. Defensively, they've tallied 16 total blocks, 153 digs, and have held opponents to a .195 attack percentage.
- The Cardinals are led offensively by Ava Smith who is averaging 2.89 kills/set. Lindsey Green is the current assist leader with 6.33/set.
- Gwen Crull leads the Cardinals in both blocks/set (1.11) and hitting percentage (.324).
BALL STATE SERIES HISTORY
- Thursday's matchup will mark the fourth time the Hilltoppers and Cardinals have lined up across the net.
- WKU leads the all-time series 2-1, winners of the last two matchups.
- The last meeting came on Sept. 15, 2023. The Hilltoppers won in a 3-1 decision.
SCOUTING THE RAIDERS
- Wright State enters their second straight weekend as a tournament host, posting a 2-1 record after defeating Santa Clara and Eastern Illinois while falling to Marquette last weekend.
- The Raiders have logged 158 kills for a .266 hitting percentage with 149 assists, and 17 aces. Defensively, they've logged 18 total blocks, 170 digs, and hold opponents to a .241 hitting clip.
- Mya Ayro is the leading Raider in kills with 4.80/set. Lauren Yacobucci is the assist leader with 10.64/set and posts a team best .412 hitting percentage.
WRIGHT STATE SERIES HISTORY
- Friday will mark the eighth ever meeting between WKU and Wright State.
- The Raiders hold a 4-3 all-time series advantage.
- WKU has won each of the last three meetings, winning in a 3-0 sweep on Aug. 29, 2025 inside Diddle Arena.
SCOUTING THE FLYERS
- Dayton enters the weekend with a 3-1 record, dropping a three set match to No. 6 Louisville on Monday after a 3-0 weekend.
- Dayton boasts 182 kills, 164 assists, and a .231 hitting percentage through their first four matches. On the defensive end, they've posted 24 total blocks, 149 digs, and a .231 opponent hitting percentage.
- The Flyers are led offensively by Charlotte Vinson (3.68 kills/set) and Abigail Cresse (.455 hitting percentage).
- Defensively, Isabel Simmons is leading with an average of two blocks/set and Sidney Sprada leads the back-line with 2.36 digs/set.
DAYTON SERIES HISTORY
- Saturday marks the 11th all-time meeting between the Hilltoppers and Flyers. WKU leads the series 6-4.
- The Hilltoppers won in a three set sweep over Dayton on Sept. 5 of last season.
- This weekend's meeting will mark the fourth meeting between the two in as many years.
HILLTOPPER ASSIST
The Hilltopper Assist is a scholarship donation from the Wiseman Family for WKU Students. The scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship for eligible WKU Students for the following matches: Pepperdine on Thursday, Sept. 10, Louisville on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and Oklahoma on Thursday, Sept. 17. In order to participate in the lottery, a minimum of 100 students must be in attendance for each match. The winner will be announced between the second and third sets of the matches listed above. A student can only win the lottery one time.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets and single game tickets for the 2026 Hilltopper Volleyball Season can be purchased HERE.
Follow The Tops: For complete information on WKU Volleyball, follow the team on X at @WKUVolleyballand head coach Travis Hudson at @TravisHudsonWKU. The team is also on Instagram and Facebook.
