The WKU Volleyball regular season begins Friday against Wright State in the WKU Invitational.
The Lady Toppers are coming off another successful season, finishing 28-7, 18-0 in conference play and advancing to their sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance.
It was a busy offseason for WKU with a roster revamp of four graduating players and six incoming, four freshmen and two transfer players. The graduating seniors include 2024 Conference USA player of the year Kaylee Cox, who led the team in kills and service aces.
“(Outside Hitter) Alivia Skidmore is going to have to step forward and carry a bigger load for us,” Head coach Travis Hudson said at a press conference Monday. “NCAA tournament time, she was carrying the same load that Kaylee Cox was carrying.”
In her freshman season, Skidmore was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team and was a member of the All-Conference USA Second Team. She tallied 344 kills, 38 blocks and 74 digs during last season.
Despite the young core, seniors Callie Bauer, Abby Schaefer and Callahan Wiegandt have done nothing but win. The Lady Toppers are undefeated in conference play over the last four years.
“It is an interesting blend on the court right now, and it’s just about trying to find ourselves,” Hudson said.
The Lady Toppers will hit the ground running to begin the season, with seven of their first nine opponents finishing in the top 100 last season. No. 24 Dayton, and perennial instate powerhouse, Louisville, stand out as some of the Lady Toppers’ tougher opponents within the first month of play.
WKU struggled against Power 4 and ranked opponents to start last season, dropping games to Kentucky, Tennessee, Marquette, Dayton and Michigan State en route to a 7-6 record heading into conference play.
“So this, literally for the first three to four weeks, could go either way,” Hudson said.
WKU Volleyball will open its season with a Friday doubleheader against Wright State and Loyola Chicago.
