WKU Volleyball head coach Travis Hudson addressed the media on Monday ahead of a Tuesday night’s match-up with the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

The Hilltoppers are 9-1 on the year and are looking to extend their win streak to seven games against their second power five opponent of the season. 

“They’re just an amazingly big, physical athletic team,” Hudson said. They’re an impressive team. You have to try to be disruptive – if we’re not, we’ll be back in Bowling Green pretty quick.” 

Hudson emphasized the importance of the team’s next four games as they will conclude WKU’s non-conference schedule.

“Some really challenging matchups coming up, but some exciting volleyball is at Diddle Arena again this weekend,” Hudson said. “We will go down to Knoxville tomorrow for that challenge and then get back here, and we need a really good turnout this weekend to see where we stand, but it’s a perfect schedule going into conference play.” 

Hudson said that the team will continue to count on stars like Lauren Matthews and Paige Briggs to turn in big games. 

“Well look, Lauren Matthews has to play well. Paige Briggs has to play well, those kids have to play well. Those kids are All-American caliber players and they have to play well in big matches,” Hudson said.

Briggs had a career-high 24 kills in Saturday’s match against Austin Peay. 

Following Tuesday’s match-up in Knoxville, the Hilltoppers will play the final three games of their non-conference schedule  in front of the Hilltopper faithful: a double header against Tennessee Tech and a match-up with Texas A&M.

WKU and Tennessee will take the court Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT. at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

Sports reporter Mason Fletcher can be reached at [email protected].