What This Story Is About
WKU swept Jacksonville State in three sets, extending its win streak to seven matches and its sweep streak to four.
Why It Matters
The sweep keeps WKU undefeated in Conference USA play at 6-0.
What Happens Next
The Hilltoppers return home to host Middle Tennessee starting Friday, Oct. 16 for Education Day. First serve from E.A. Diddle Arena is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be streaming on ESPN+.
For Context
The 2026 CUSA Volleyball Tournament is coming to Bowling Green, Ky. Action from E.A. Diddle Arena runs Friday-Sunday, Nov. 20-22. Tickets will go on sale starting October 15.
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (WBKO) – WKU volleyball defeated Jacksonville State in three sets Saturday afternoon at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
The win moves WKU to 12-6 overall and 6-0 in Conference USA. Jacksonville State falls to 3-15 overall and 0-6 in CUSA.
Hilltoppers roll to sweep
The Hilltopper offense totaled 40 kills for the second consecutive match, extending WKU’s win streak to seven and its sweep streak to four.
WKU held Jax State to a .085 hitting percentage, the lowest mark the Hilltoppers have allowed in 2026.
Izzy Van De Wiele and Kaira Knox were dominant up front. Van De Wiele totaled eight blocks, while Knox finished with six, a new career best.
Set one: WKU 25, Jax State 20
The Hilltopper offense came out swinging early. Alivia Skidmore logged a pair of kills, Van De Wiele and Knox stuffed a block, and Kate Rush fired off an ace to jump out to an 8-0 lead.
Van De Wiele and Knox combined for another block, and Van De Wiele added a solo block for an 11-1 edge, forcing the first Gamecock timeout.
Two quick points pulled Jax State within 10 at 12-4 before Faith Young’s first kill added to the WKU lead. The Gamecocks pulled within five, aided by a 4-0 run.
Skidmore’s fourth kill of the frame sent the two teams into the break with WKU holding a 15-9 lead. The first kill for Rush pushed the WKU lead back to a half dozen at 16-10.
Skidmore added an ace, and an errant attack forced the final Gamecock timeout with WKU up 19-13. A 3-0 scoring run for Jax State followed before a service error pulled the Hilltoppers over 20, ahead by four.
Young sparked a 3-0 WKU run with a kill for a 23-17 advantage. Rush’s third kill of the day gave WKU its first set point. On the fourth try, Kennedy Cherry connected with Rush to claim the frame, 25-20.
Set two: WKU 25, Jax State 21
Rush got things going with an ace for the first point of the frame. A 3-0 Gamecock run allowed a 4-2 deficit to develop.
The Hilltoppers strung together two points, capped by the first ace for Knox, for a 6-5 edge. Knox and Skidmore combined for straight kills, pushing WKU into double figures while still holding a one-point lead.
Back-to-back blocks followed for a 12-9 advantage. Van De Wiele capped off the 6-0 run for a five-point WKU lead.
The Gamecocks strung together three in a row before Rush found Knox for a 15-12 lead. Van De Wiele stuffed her sixth block and followed with her second kill to force a Jax State stoppage, with WKU up 17-12.
Aubrey Sears pushed her kill total to a pair for a 20-16 advantage. Cherry fired off an ace to add to the lead. WKU took its first timeout as Jax State came within two at 21-19.
Up one, Rush added to her kill total with her sixth for a 22-20 lead. An error and a combined block for Knox and Van De Wiele gave WKU its first set point, leading by three. An attack error gave the Hilltoppers a 2-0 match lead, taking the frame 25-21.
Set three: WKU 25, Jax State 13
Jax State claimed the first four points of the set before Skidmore’s kill got the Tops on the board. Down 5-3, Knox fired off a kill to ignite a 4-0 Hilltopper run.
Now even at eight, Young logged a kill and Knox sent over an ace for an 11-8 advantage. Straight kills by Knox and Young gave WKU a 13-9 lead.
The seventh kill for Rush sent the two teams into the media break with WKU up by five. The ninth kill for Skidmore pushed the Hilltopper lead to six.
Van De Wiele found room for another kill, and a bad set forced a Jax State timeout with WKU holding a 19-12 edge. Camila Adams fired off an ace to push the margin to 10 at 23-13.
Young’s seventh kill gave WKU match point. Much like Friday, Izzie Delacher assisted on the match-clinching point, this time connecting with Kendall Mellar for a 25-14 win.
Quotable
“I thought Jax State really raised their level today. We had to maintain a high level on our side to secure the win. Proud of our group,” said head coach Travis Hudson on the three-set win.
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