Lady Topper volleyball team misses NCAA Tournament

Austin Lanter

The Lady Topper volleyball team will not be going to the NCAA Tournament this year after three consecutive postseason appearances, as the NCAA announced the tournament participants Sunday night.

It will be the first time that five WKU seniors — outside hitter Janee’ Diggins, defensive specialist Ashley Potts, middle hitter Lindsay Spears, setter Melanie Stutsman, and outside hitter Paige Wessel — have not reached the  NCAATournament in their four years on the Hill.

The team ended the season with a 26-7 record overall and a 17-1 record in the Sun Belt Conference.

Going into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament last week, the team was the No. 1 seed playing against No. 8 Troy. In 21 games, WKU had never lost to Troy and had only dropped one set.

In the first round game of the conference tournament, however, which took place Nov. 21 in Troy, Ala., the Lady Toppers were swept by the Lady Trojans and made an early departure from the tournament.

The 17 conference wins for the team were the most conference wins in a single season in school history.

Individual records also fell this year as Potts broke the schools all-time digs record and Stutsman broke the assists record.

The team will make the switch to Conference-USA next season.