BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Kennesaw State volleyball gave Conference USA-leading Western Kentucky a battle Friday night, snapping the Hilltoppers' streak of 23 consecutive set victories before eventually falling 3-1 (21-25, 17-25, 25-23, 21-25) at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The Owls (9-12, 3-6 CUSA) claimed the third set to become the first KSU team to win a set against Western Kentucky in six all-time meetings. WKU improved to 15-6 overall and remained unbeaten in conference play at 9-0.
STAT OF THE GAME
Kennesaw State and Western Kentucky both finished with 50 kills, but the Owls committed 32 attack errors compared to just 13 for the Hilltoppers. That difference resulted in a .114 hitting percentage for KSU, while WKU finished at .276.
THE RUNDOWN
Set One (WKU 25, KSU 21)
Kennesaw State started strong against the conference leaders, taking a 14-10 advantage behind an early offensive spark from Olivia Burrage, Ashlyn Anderson and Ava Garner. Western Kentucky rallied to tie the score at 15-15 before using a 5-1 stretch to move ahead 20-17. The Owls fought back to even the score at 21-21, but the Hilltoppers recorded the final four points to claim the opening set.
Set Two (WKU 25, KSU 17)
Western Kentucky opened the second set with a 6-4 lead before the Owls fought back to tie the score at 10-10. The Hilltoppers took control midway through the frame, using an 8-2 run to build a 21-13 advantage. KSU was unable to overcome the deficit as WKU moved ahead 2-0 in the match.
Set Three (KSU 25, WKU 23)
The Hilltoppers jumped out to a 6-3 lead before the Owls began their comeback. KSU tied the score at 10-10 and followed with a 7-3 run to move ahead 17-13, with Anderson and Burrage helping fuel the rally. The Owls extended their lead to 19-14, but Western Kentucky battled back to even the score at 22-22. After the teams traded points, Anderson delivered consecutive kills to give KSU the 25-23 victory.
Set Four (WKU 25, KSU 21)
Western Kentucky built an early 12-7 lead before Kennesaw State responded with a 7-2 run to tie the score at 14-14. The teams continued to trade points, with Burrage and Garner helping the Owls stay even at 19-19. The Hilltoppers then scored four consecutive points to move ahead 23-19. KSU scored twice more, but WKU held on for the 25-21 victory to close out the match.
QUOTABLE
Kennesaw State Head Coach Keith Schunzel
"We did some really nice things tonight, which allowed us to keep that match close. We served it very well, and we made some nice defensive plays when we needed to. Our middles, Liv and Garner, and our opposite, Ashlyn, all attacked with a competitive mindset and stayed aggressive and free the whole night.
"One thing that people may not realize is that until tonight, our program had never even won one set against WKU. That's how dominant their program has been in this league for many, many years. Tonight, we obviously won set three and scored over 20 points in sets one and four. So I'm proud of our team for battling and doing something that no other Kennesaw State volleyball team has ever done."
NOTES
- Olivia Burrage led the Owls with 14 kills on .344 hitting (14-3-32), while adding four blocks.
- Burrage increased her school-record career block total to 425.
- Ashlyn Anderson posted 13 kills, four digs and three blocks.
- Ava Garner finished with 10 kills on .304 hitting (10-3-23).
- Kourtney Brown recorded a team-high 27 assists, six digs and a service ace.
- Kaeley Walz added 16 assists and four kills.
- Alexis Sowers led KSU with 13 digs and two service aces.
- Hannah Pearce contributed 12 digs.
- Ashley Theiss finished with nine digs, four kills and a service ace.
- Kennesaw State finished with 50 kills, five service aces and 61 digs.
- The Owls and Hilltoppers combined for 122 digs, with each team finishing with 61.
NEXT TIME OUT
Kennesaw State closes out its two-match Conference USA road series against Western Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m. ET at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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