WKU Volleyball did not drop a set to Jacksonville State in a two-game series Friday and Saturday at E. A. Diddle Arena, beginning Conference USA play with a 2-0 record.
Junior middle hitter Izzy Van De Wiele, sophomore outside hitter Alivia Skidmore and sophomore outside hitter Faith Young stole the spotlight, combining for 46 of the team’s 81 kills across the weekend.
“We found a way to win,” Head Coach Travis Hudson said. “We absolutely tried to balance ourselves offensively a little bit more today.”
An injury has continued to bench freshman right-side hitter Kaira Knox, forcing the Hilltoppers to add more variety in their attack. Knox is still ranked second in kills among the Hilltopper hitters with 125.
“Kaira really changes a lot, other than her position. We’re really out of sorts right now on the offensive side,” Hudson said. “I thought we defended at a really high level, which is what we needed to be able to find a way to win these matches.”
Friday
WKU looked strong from the start, going on a 4-0 run to open the match. The Gamecocks could not contain the Hilltopper offense, which maintained WKU’s lead throughout the whole set. A block by Van De Wiele and freshman setter Kate Rush gave the Hilltoppers a 25-15 set win.
Multiple errors from both sides of the net made way for a more evenly-matched second set. JSU took its first lead of the night, 23-22, from back-to-back WKU attack errors, after which the scrapiness on the floor only increased. After trading multiple kills and errors, the Hilltoppers took the set 30-28 following a kill by Van De Wiele.
Multiple JSU runs kept WKU in a consistent deficit in the third. A successful challenge from JSU Head Coach Derek Schroeder reversed the call on the floor and gave the Gamecocks a 23-19 lead. After a series of back-and-forth rallies, freshman outside hitter Sonja Laaksonen’s attack put the set and match away for WKU 28-26.
Saturday
Despite a back-and-forth start, the Hilltoppers were able to edge ahead as the first set progressed. A block by Van de Wiele and Skidmore followed by an attack by Skidmore put WKU up 21-15 and forced a JSU timeout. The Hilltoppers won the first set 25-16 after a Gamecock attack error.
The Hilltoppers got hot early in the second, going on a 4-0 run that included two service aces by Young. A kill by Rush coupled with a block by Rush and junior middle hitter Gabby Weihe gave the Hilltoppers a 16-12 advantage. An attack by Skidmore ended the long set-point rally and gave WKU a 25-22 set win.
WKU and JSU traded scoring runs in the third. The Gamecocks gained momentum early by going 3-0 to open the set. The Hilltoppers answered with a 5-0 run of their own to secure a 20-12 lead. A JSU service error upheld WKU’s perfect record against the Gamecocks with a 25-18 set and match victory.
