AND THE ‘DORES WERE TOUGH AT THE NET.
WKU’s TRAVIS HUDSON: ‘YOU HAVE TO SERVE THE BALL AGGRESSIVELY’
WKU volleyball’s Travis Hudson is in his 31st season as the Hilltoppers’ head coach and he understands where his squad is headed.
Right back to the practice floor.
Vanderbilt coach Anders Nelson has a first-year program looking to improve before next week’s Southeastern Conference opener against tradition-rich Texas in Austin. The Commodores were effective at the net and claimed victories in all three sets in sweeping the Hilltoppers on Tuesday night before an enthusiastic crowd of 1,724 at WKU’s historic E.A. Diddle Arena.
“This one is not a hard one to dissect,” Hudson said after the match. “It’s as simple as what went on at the service line.”
It’s been an area of concern all season for the revamped Hilltoppers (6-3), who lost for the first time since getting swept at Marquette University on September 5 in Milwaukee. Western Kentucky struggled at the service line and had more unforced errors than the Commodores, who take a 3-5 record into Friday night’s home match against UC-Irvine.
“A team that has the weapons that Vanderbilt has, you have to serve the ball aggressively,” Hudson said, “and you have to be ‘in court,’ and we did neither of those things.”
WKU was playing from behind for most of the first two sets, and Vanderbilt locked in with the match on the line in the third set. The Commodores never trailed in the third set, but WKU survived three match points before Vanderbilt completed the sweep (27-25, 25-21, 25-23).
“You dictate how the play goes from the serve,” Hudson said. “It’s a tough lesson.”
SIMPLY NOT READY TO WIN A MATCH LIKE THAT.’
LOOKS FOR A BLOCK AGAINST
THE HILLTOPPERS’ FAITH YOUNG.
A TEAM-HIGH 22 ASSISTS.
THEIR THIRD VICTORY AGAINST FIVE DEFEATS.
Vanderbilt’s towering front line was effective at the net. The Commodores finished with a .321 hitting percentage and a .452 kill percentage. Junior outside hitter Kamryn Chaney led Vandy with nine kills and six service aces, while teammates Reese Animashaun and Kayla Dunlap finished the match with eight kills apiece.
“We’re simply not ready to win a match like that … Vanderbilt kept consistent pressure on us,” Hudson said. “You have to serve more aggressively. In volleyball, the serve is the only thing you can work on, by yourself.”
Western Kentucky had a lead in the first few moments of the first set, before Vanderbilt grabbed its first lead of the match at 10-9. The Commodores maintained a slim advantage down the stretch before taking the first set, 25-21.
FELL BEHIND QUICKLY IN THE THIRD SET.
OPERATES AGAINST THE COMMODORES.
WKU freshman Kaira Cox had two of the Tops’ four aces, while Vanderbilt finished with eight aces on the night. WKU’s Alivia Skidmore, a 5-foot-10 sophomore from Florence, Kentucky, turned in a strong effort, finishing the match with a team-high nine kills. The Hilltoppers were limited to a .152 hitting percentage, and the majority of points were settled quickly in the 90-minute match.
WKU’s Faith Young and Kendall Miller each recorded six kills in the match, while teammate Callie Bauer, a senior setter from Hudson, Michigan, led the Hilltoppers with 22 assists.
WKU coach Travis Hudson was thrilled with the “great atmosphere” at Diddle Arena, and the Hilltoppers will return to their home court for the first of three matches in the Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic beginning on Friday. WKU will tangle with Bradley University on Friday afternoon before returning to the court that night to face Indiana. On Saturday afternoon, the Tops will take the floor against traditional rival Austin Peay State University.
Cavanaugh, a former WKU volleyball standout, died in 2020 at age 24 after a lengthy battle with leukemia.
“There’s nobody more disappointed than me (by Tuesday night’s loss), but the energy in the building was very good,” Hudson said.
The Hilltoppers will play at Vandy’s famed Memorial Gym next season.
WHILE VANDY IMPROVED TO 3-5.
FOR THIS WEEKEND’s ALYSSA CAVANAUGH CLASSIC.
ON THEIR WAY BACK TO NASHVILLE.
AND I’M JUST LIVIN’ IN IT …