The first weekend of WKU volleyball is in the books.
The Hilltoppers spent the weekend competing at the Bluegrass Battle in Lexington, and left the competition with wins over both Morehead State on Friday, Aug. 30 and Northern Kentucky on Saturday Aug. 31.
WKU’s lone loss of the weekend came against the No. 9 ranked Kentucky Wildcats.
GAME ONE
In their first game of the Bluegrass Battle, WKU defeated the Morehead State Golden Eagles 3-1
WKU’s freshman outside hitter Alivia Skidmore led the way in her first collegiate game to secure the Hilltoppers first win as she had 13 kills while having a .303 hitting percentage.
In the early minutes of set one, the Hilltoppers and the golden eagles were trading points until senior outside Katie Howard went on a four point serving run where she had two aces to put the tops up 20-10 late in the first set. MSU looked to counter with a run of their own but came up short as WKU won the first 25-16.
In the second set, MSU came out hot behind the impressive serving of senior defensive specialist Peighton Isley to put the golden eagles up 4-1 early. WKU tried answering back, however the attack game of both grad student Breanna Boomer, and Irene Wogenstahl was too much for the hilltoppers as Morehead State took set two 25-14.
With the eleven point loss in set two, the Hilltoppers put the game to rest winning both the third and fourth sets 25-20 and 25-17 respectively. The third set win was spearheaded by the freshman and senior duo of Alivia Skidmore and Kaylee Cox, having a combined nine kills along with the superb setting of redshirt junior Callie Bauer.
In the fourth set, much like set one, the Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles traded points back and forth before two four-point-runs by the Hilltoppers to give them a 18-13 cushion and then a 22-14 cushion before closing out the set and ultimately the match.
GAME TWO
In WKU’s second game of the weekend they took on the Northern Kentucky Norse where they were able to sweep them in three straight sets to improve to 2-0 on the season.
In the first set it was knotted up at 21 all before the Hilltoppers capitalized on an attack error from the Norse. Behind serves from junior Abby Shaefer, the duo of Bauer and Cox went on a run to win the first set 25-21.
Nearly a copy and paste from set one, set two saw the two teams battle back and forth until three straight kills from Kenadee Coyle put the set to rest with three straight kills as the Hilltoppers won 31-29.
As the third set rolled around it appeared WKU had the Norse’s number jumping out to an early 8-2 lead. Despite closing the gap from 23-14 to 23-17 it was too little too late as WKU won set three 25-17.
GAME 3
Despite WKU having momentum going into their third game against No. 9 Kentucky it was not enough as the Wildcats won 3-1.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early 14-8 lead in the first set against the Hilltoppers. Even with WKU trying to claw back in the first set, Kentucky’s sophomore Outside hitter Brooklyn Deleye was too much for the block of WKU as she led the way for a 25-18 set victory for the Wildcats.
In the second set, the Hilltoppers made adjustments where needed and came out firing, getting out in front 13-7 from kills by sophomore Gabby Weihe. Along with Weihe, Cox showed why she was named C-USA preseason player of the year as she led the way for a 25-19 victory in the second set.
In the third and fourth set it was last year’s SEC freshman of the year Deleye and the All-American setter Emma Grome who led the way for the Wildcats in a 25-16 set three victory and then another 25-16 set four win. The freshman Skidmore led the way for WKU in kills with 11 while Deleye led the way for the Wildcats with 25 kills.
