The Lady Toppers volleyball team anticipated Friday’s match against Florida International to be one of their toughest matches of the year.

But Head Coach Travis Hudson said when the team arrived at the gym, the atmosphere was a lot quieter than expected.

“There wasn’t quite as much anticipation in the air as we anticipated,” he said. “We sort of had to create our own excitement.”

The energized Lady Toppers (16-1, 3-0) swept FIU in three sets, extending their winning streak to 13 matches.

Coming into the match, several Lady Toppers said they expected a big crowd because FIU planned to retire the jersey of a former player after the match.

Hudson said earlier this week he expected FIU to be the hardest road match of the season. Despite the less than raucous crowd that was expected, he was pleased with the way his team performed.

“It’s really exciting to come out here and get a win,” Hudson said. “The match was a little flat at times but we just found a way to grind it out.”

Hudson said he was most pleased with junior outside hitter Jordyn Skinner’s performance. Skinner led WKU in kills with 13 to go along with 12 digs in what he described as a “very complete match by her.”

Sophomore defensive specialist Ashley Potts added eight digs.

The No. 29 Lady Toppers will play Florida International at 1 p.m. Saturday before returning home to play Middle Tennessee on Tuesday.