WKU volleyball’s Alyssa Cavanaugh was named the Conference USA Michael L. Slive Female Athlete of the Year by the league office Friday. 

Cavanaugh had the fourth-best hitting percentage in the country and had 489 kills last season. She also received American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American honors for the fourth straight year. 

“We are really excited for Alyssa to be named Conference USA’s Female Student Athlete of the Year,” athletics director Todd Stewart said in a press release. “This is a tremendous honor, and she is very deserving.  Alyssa had an incredible career and an incredible senior season of both personal and team success. Many times individual awards are a reflection of having great teammates and coaches, and this recognition is very fitting for someone who played a major role in the best four year stretch in our volleyball program’s history. This recognition is very much deserved and is a perfect cap to her historic career.”

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Cavanugh is the first C-USA Athlete of the Year award winner for WKU since WKU football’s Brandon Doughty won the Male Athlete of the Year Award in 2016. WKU also had an award winner in 2015, as WKU softball’s Miranda Kramer won the Female Athlete of the Year Award that year. 

“What a great way to cap off a truly remarkable career,” WKU Volleyball head coach Travis Hudson said in a press release. “There are some tremendous female athletes on our campus and throughout Conference USA and for Alyssa to be chosen is truly special.”

Cavanaugh was part of a senior class that became the first in program history to play in the NCAA Tournament in all four years of their college career. 

Sports Editor Jeremy Chisenhall can be reached at 270-745-6291 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JSChisenhall.