WKU Volleyball went 1-1 this weekend in the Marquette Invitational.
The Lady Toppers opened the weekend with a sweep against Dayton in three unanswered sets. The momentum didn’t last long, with tournament host Marquette defeating the Hilltoppers in three sets.
The Hilltoppers’ game against Buffalo on Saturday was canceled following the death of two Marquette lacrosse student-athletes, according to a statement from Marquette Athletics.
Dayton
The Hilltoppers swept Dayton in three straight sets to open the Marquette tournament.
The first set went to WKU 25-16. WKU Senior Callie Bauer hit the floor after tipping the ball over the net to tie the set. Bauer held her wrist and did not return after the first set.
Freshman Kate Rush stepped in to fill the setter gap. Rush dominated the court with sets that hit every target and marked the scoreboard with three kills of her own.
Junior transfer Kendall Meller also made her mark on the court with a stellar first set. Seven kills from Meller helped lead WKU to victory in the first set.
The second set went to WKU 25-23. Despite the early start for Dayton, the Flyers could not keep their momentum. The Hilltoppers dominated the set and took advantage of Flyer errors.
Dayton looked to tie the game up, but could not answer the kills sent their way. A kill from Meller landed the Hilltoppers on top.
The third set saw Dayton lose 25-22. A tight back-and-forth battle for the third set ended in a Hilltopper victory thanks to a Flyer attack error despite the Flyers dominating early on.
Marquette
Marquette swept WKU in a 0-3 win for their second game of the tournament.
The Golden Eagles won the first set 25-22. The first set also welcomed Baur back to the court with her shoulder in a brace. Despite Bauer’s return and powerful sets on the court, the Lady Toppers couldn’t keep their momentum.
Several attack errors from the Hilltoppers led to Marquette’s first set win.
The second set saw the Hilltoppers fall to Marquette 25-18. Meller continued to dominate the court, but it wasn’t enough to keep WKU on top. Attack errors from the Hilltoppers riddled their play and ultimately cost them the set.
The third set saw the Hilltoppers lose 25-19. The Hilltoppers opened strong, but it quickly turned into a heated back-and-forth between the two teams.
Attack errors continued to haunt the Lady Toppers’ play and ultimately cost them the set.
The Hilltoppers head to the ETSU Tournament Sept. 12.
