Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech continues with its challenging conference schedule this weekend as the Bulldogs host preseason favorite and reigning league champion WKU for a pair of matchups.
Tonight’s match is set for a 6:30 p.m. first serve while Saturday’s starts at 1 p.m. Both matches can be seen on ESPN+.
WKU hasn’t lost a league match since 2018, reeling off 94 straight victories.
LA Tech (7-11, 0-4) was on the losing end of two close battles with Delaware at home this past weekend, falling 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-13, 15-10) and 3-1 (25-16, 25-23, 20-25, 25- 17). Jailen Hurley tallied a combined 26 kills to lead the Bulldogs in the series, including a season-high 15 in the first matchup. The fourth-year senior is closing in on 600 career kills as a Bulldog (at 579), having led the team in the kills category seven times.
The Bulldogs are amid playing the top three teams in the CUSA preseason poll in three consecutive weeks, having just faced Delaware (picked third) to now taking on WKU (picked first) followed by a road trip to UTEP (picked second).
Grace Krohn was a steady passer for the Bulldogs versus the Blue Hens. The setter set new single-game highs in both matches, tallying 21 assists and nine digs in each. She also recorded a career-high four service aces in the first game against Delaware.
Gabrielle Hairston continued her strong start to conference play. The outside hitter has a team-high 33 kills during CUSA action with a .263 hitting percentage to go along with six total blocks. She registered a season-high 12 kills and five digs in the Friday five-setter with Delaware.
LA Tech currently ranks third in CUSA and top 70 in the country in total digs (914). Leading the way has been libero Riley Steubing who has registered double-digit digs in 12 matches. She currently ranks 50th in the nation in total digs this season with 262.
WKU (13-4, 4-0 CUSA) has won 10 of its last 12 matches, including all four of its CUSA contests with sweeps over Jacksonville State and Missouri State. The Hilltoppers have only dropped seven total sets during this 12-match stretch.
With its undefeated start to league play, WKU improved its conference match win streak to 94 (has not lost a CUSA match since 2018). The Hilltoppers secured their ninth regular season championship and eighth CUSA Tournament title last season.
Callie Bauer received CUSA Setter of the Week honors for a third time for her play against the Bears this past weekend, leading the Hilltoppers with a .382 hitting percentage while tallying 75 total assists.
WKU ranks top 50 nationally and first in CUSA in several categories including assists per set (13.13), blocks per set (2.69), and kills per set (14.11). Offensively, three Hilltoppers have cracked 100+ kills anchored by Alivia Skidmore with 180 (3.33 per set).
2024 was a season to remember as Hudson’s squad secured their 10th regular season championship and ninth tournament title after going a perfect 18-0 in conference play.
LA Tech trails in the all-time series versus WKU, 17-7. It was a tightly contested series with the two teams were foes in the Sun Belt Conference with the Hilltoppers owning a slight 8-7 edge. However, since facing off as CUSA opponents WKU has won all 11 meetings. LA Tech’s last win over WKU came in 1999.
