WKU Volleyball finished out their regular season with two wins this weekend at home against the 13-15 (7-9) Liberty Flames.
The Hilltoppers swept the Flames in their first game Thursday as they clinched their sixth straight Conference USA regular season championship with a sweep of Liberty. With the sweep, WKU claimed their 13th C-USA regular season title in the last 14 seasons.
In the second game, the Hilltoppers put out Liberty’s flame in four sets where the third and fourth sets were decided by two points.
With the wins, WKU finished C-USA play 18-0. The Hilltoppers have not lost a conference game since 2018.
GAME ONE
The first set was close early, with the Flames making several runs to keep it close. However, the Hilltoppers took over late, clinching a first-set win at 25-19. Senior outside hitter Kaylee Cox and freshman pin hitter Alivia Skidmore recorded five kills each. Sophomore middle hitter Izzy Van De Wiele completed the attack with four kills of her own.
Cox and Skidmore continued their dominance in the second set, adding five more kills. The set was never in doubt as the Hilltoppers led throughout, eventually taking the set 25-17. Van De Wiele added a solo block.
In the final set, with a chance to complete the sweep and take the Conference USA regular season championship, the Hilltoppers buckled down late to complete the sweep with a 25-23 win, cementing their sixth straight. Skidmore added six more, totaling 15 kills in the match, while Cox added five more.
After the sweep Head Coach Travis Hudson was proud of the effort and resilience of the team.
“It just means so much to see, to know the work our kids put in every year to try and win a championship and to be able to do it in Diddle Arena against a worthy opponent [is great],” Hudson said.
GAME TWO
In the second game of the series, Liberty looked to play spoiler to the Hilltoppers senior night.
In the first set neither team was able to get momentum as they continued to trade points back and forth. The Hilltoppers got slight separation after serving from senior outside hitter Katie Howard gave the Hilltoppers a 15-11 lead going into the media timeout. WKU did not let up coming out of the timeout taking a commanding 18-11 lead. The Hilltoppers rode this momentum and took set one 25-15.
To begin the second set, WKU came out and took an early 8-2 lead thanks to the serve of Cox and redshirt junior setter Callie Bauer. The block of the Hilltoppers was superb early in the set as the Flames could get nothing going. Despite any momentum the Flames looked to get it was quickly put away by the swing of WKU. The Hilltoppers put away set two 25-15 to take a 2-0 lead.
In the third set Liberty came out hot before multiple service aces by Bauer who gave WKU an early 11-9 lead. After a much-needed stop by the Flames, they took a 15-12 lead into the media timeout. After the timeout the Flames continued to find the holes in the WKU defense, taking an 18-13 lead. WKU showed resilience going on a six-point run to tie the set 24-24 before the Flames put it away 28-26 to force a fourth set.
In the fourth set, Liberty did not let up, taking an early 6-3 lead. The Hilltoppers tied it up after swings from Skidmore to make it 12-12 in a set that had been controlled by the Flames. Liberty took the slim 15-14 lead going into the media timeout.
Liberty refused to go away as they led late in the fourth set 20-17 as they looked to force a fifth and deciding set. The Hilltoppers out of the timeout went on a 5-2 run spearheaded by their serve to tie set four 22-22. Neither team wanted to go away in the fourth set as it took more than 25 points to declare a winner. After a kill from freshman Faith Young WKU got a much-needed match point 31-30 before senior rightside Kennade Coyle put the set and match away 32-30.
The Hilltoppers will head to El Paso, Texas for the C-USA tournament next weekend where they will look to get an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.
Sports Reporter Austin Rice can be reached at [email protected].
Sports Reporter Peyton Reid can be reached [email protected].
