| NCAA Tournament First & Second Rounds Dec. 3-4 | Hosted by [8] Georgia Tech |
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| Match 29: NCAA First Round | Friday, Dec. 3 | 3:30 p.m. CT | ESPN+ | ESPN 102.7 FM > Listen Live | Livestats | ||||
| Match 30: (With Win) | Saturday, Dec. 4 | 6 p.m. CT | ESPN+ | ESPN 102.7 FM > Listen Live | Livestats | ||||
| Media Center | WKU Notes | Preview Interviews | Bracket | ||||
| Record Books | WKU | NCAA Volleyball | NCAA VB Championships | ||||
| Tickets | Sold out // O'Keefe Gym (1,500) | ||||
| Series History | South Carolina | Georgia Tech | The Citadel (Never met) | ||||
| Social Media | @WKUVolleyball  | @WKU Volleyball  | Facebook  | YouTube  | Tik Tok |
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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Volleyball will be back in action in Atlanta, Georgia for the First Round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament this weekend. The postseason action will begin on Dec. 2 with the 17th-ranked Hilltoppers opening play on Dec. 3 against South Carolina at 3:30 p.m. CST.
All C-USA Tournament matches will be available on ESPN+, for fans who elect to subscribe.
As is the case for every Hilltopper match this season, all the action will also be available on the radio with Brett Williams on the play-by-play call. Any matches the Hilltoppers play from Atlanta, Ga., this weekend will air on ESPN Radio 102.7 FM.
First Round
Friday, December 3 – 3:30 p.m. CT | WKU vs. South Carolina
Friday, December 3 - 6 p.m. CT | [8] Georgia Tech vs. The Citadel
Second Round
Saturday, December 4 – 6 p.m. CT | Winners of Friday matches
South Carolina finished the regular season with a 14-14 record. The Gamecocks are 3-11 in their last 14 matches. However, one of those three wins was against No. 5 Kentucky. In action against common opponents, South Carolina lost to Ole Miss in both meetings this season but the Gamecocks defeated No. 23 ranked Rice in five sets back on Opening Weekend.
WKU and South Carolina will meet for the fourth time ever with the Gamecocks owning a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The sides haven't played since 1993 – Travis Hudson's first season as an assistant coach at WKU.
Following its third-straight C-USA Tournament championship, WKU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 27-1 record. The Hilltoppers currently own 21 sweeps on the season. WKU has only lost nine sets all season, with three coming against Ole Miss - the Tops' lone loss in 2021. The Rebels joined the Hilltoppers in the NCAA Tournament this fall.
The Hilltoppers will be making the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance - all under head coach Travis Hudson. WKU has been in the tournament seven of the last eight and 10 of the last 12 seasons. WKU Volleyball is 6-13 all-time in the NCAA tournament. The Hilltoppers have made it to the Second Round in 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019. In the spring 2020-21 campaign, WKU made its deepest tournament run in school history, advancing to the Sweet 16 before losing to the eventual national champions.
Fifth year seasons Kayland Jackson, Hallie Shelton and Taylor Bebout are 4-3 in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Second Round in 2017 and 2019 and the Sweet 16 in 2020-21.
On the season, WKU is 3-1 against Power 5 opponents with wins over No. 25 Notre Dame, Kansas and Wake Forest.
Lauren Matthews leads the team in kills this season with 413. Matthews is currently eighth in all-time kills by a Hilltopper with 1,388. Additionally, she leads the nation with a .480 hitting clip.
Hallie Shelton is the now all-time sets played leader with 512 played for WKU. She also is the all-time leader in career matches played at 149 for the Hilltoppers. Shelton sits in second on the career aces list with 184.
The Tops have claimed the No. 17 spot in this week's AVCA rankings. WKU has now been ranked in 37-consecutive polls, dating back into the 2019 campaign.
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU Volleyball earned Conference USA's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight season and has done so in 7-of-8 total seasons in C-USA. This season's trip to NCAAs marks WKU's 14th overall trip and 12th automatic bid.
- The Hilltoppers also own the longest road winning streak in all of NCAA Volleyball with 23-straight wins.
- WKU will look to extend its 20-match win streak.
- The Hilltoppers have only lost nine sets all season, with three coming against Ole Miss - the Tops' lone loss in 2021.
- Lauren Matthews earned Conference USA Tournament MVP honors for the third straight season. Paige Briggs, Nadia Dieudonne and Kayland Jackson all earned All-Tournament Team honors as well.
- Lauren Matthews made Conference USA history in numerous ways as she became the first player to earn the Alyssa Cavanaugh Player of the Year award – renamed for the Hilltopper legend in June 2021 – while also being voted the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Travis Hudson was tabbed the C-USA Coach of the Year. Matthews, Paige Briggs and Nadia Dieudonne all collected First Team All-Conference recognition for the third-consecutive season. Katie Isenbarger and Kayland Jackson both landed on the Second Team All-Conference Team while Katie Howard earned All-Freshman Team honors.
- Since 2011, WKU is the winningest team in the nation with 316 wins
- WKU has won 20 straight matches, the third longest win streak in the country
- The Hilltoppers also own the longest road winning streak in all of NCAA Volleyball with 23-straight wins.
- Listen to Lauren Matthews talk about the recent C-USA Championship and the upcoming NCAA Tournament on the Beyond the Hill Podcast. LISTEN HERE
- WKU is undefeated, 16-0, away from Diddle Arena this season
- WKU became the nation's first 20-win team this season back on Oct. 23. The Hilltoppers now own 22-consecutive 20-win seasons, the second longest active streak in NCAA Volleyball.
- Paige Briggs and Katie Isenbarger were tabbed to Conference USA's 11-member All-Academic Volleyball Team on Monday, Nov. 15. The honor marks the first for Isenbarger and second of Briggs' career on The Hill.
- WKU Volleyball is more accessible than ever with radio broadcasts for every match. The Tops are 1 of just 10 Division I Volleyball programs that currently have live radio for home and away matches.
