WKU Volleyball tops Ball State in first education match

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Middle hitter Logan Grevengoed stuffed a career-high seven blocks against the Cardinals of Ball State in the Tops’ 3-1 win Friday morning. The crowd of 2,737 featured Bowling Green Public Schools for an on-campus field trip as Paige Briggs led the Hilltopper offense with 19 kills from the outside.

Against the Ball State back row, WKU produced nine service aces to the Cardinals’ one, while hitting .500 as a team in both the second and fourth frames. Junior Kaylee Cox also produced her first back-to-back double digit kill matches with 12 from Austin Peay and 12 against Ball State. WKU 3, Ball State 1: 25-16, 25-14, 23-25, 25-15

Set 1

After opening the first frame with a sideout attacking error on BSU and ace at the line from Kelsey Brangers, WKU later went on to take six straight from the Cardinals that featured two kills from Paige Briggs, kill from Gabby Weihe, setter dump from Callie Bauer, and a solo block from Weihe. The Cardinals rallied back with a 5-0 run, as the Tops still held a three-point lead. At 14-9, a block assist featuring Kaylee Cox and Logan Grevengoed capitalized on a 3-0 run, until the Hilltoppers wrapped up the set in two-point rallies. Five straight on the Hilltopper side would finalize the opening frame that was highlighted from Briggs and kills from Kenadee Coyle on the right side.

Set 2

A 3-1 run that featured kills from the entire Hilltopper front row would capitalize the beginning of the second set. Points back-and-forth on the board, WKU would take three straight with a shot from the middle from Weihe, a kill on the line from Coyle, and a sideout Cardinal attacking error during the run. Later in the set, back-to-back aces for Paige Briggs would put the Tops in double digits. Utilizing her .267 hitting clip in the morning, Grevengoed shot a ball over the tips of Ball State blockers to rally up WKU with an eight-point lead. The two teams would trade points on the board for the rest of the set, until Briggs capped off the frame with a cross-court kill.

Set 3

Staying more even at the start of the set, Ball State tied the frame after a Hilltopper service error and kill from the Cardinals’ Madison Buckley. The Tops and Cardinals would trade the lead on the board back-and-forth six more times until the Cardinals would take a large 4-0 run to the Hilltopper defense and margin a three-point lead. A 3-1 run lead by Cox and Grevengoed would shorten the gap. After four straight for a slight 23-22 lead for WKU, Ball State coach Kelli Miller-Phillips would burn a timeout, nearing match point. Out of the break, two kills and a block from the Cardinals’ front line would give the visitors the third set.

Set 4

Playing in the first four-set match in three matches, a block assist with Paige Briggs and Logan Grevengoed got the Tops up to a 2-1 lead and the two rallied back-and-forth until WKU jumped out with three straight to take the lead the rest of the frame. Leading the Tops with a .478 hitting clip and only one error, Kaylee Cox produced back-to-back kills, until WKU took control of the board and hit four points straight for a 12-6 lead. WKU and Ball State would trade points; until a 4-1 run by the Red and White would capitalize the home team marking 20 points. Not losing momentum the rest of the way, Paige Briggs would earn kill no. 19 on the morning, ending the match with the ball down the line.

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