Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Friday, October 16
Bowling Green, Ky.
11:00 AM
Middle Tennessee
at
WKU
Top of CUSA Showdown: Volleyball Heads North to Face Rival WKU
10/15/2026 11:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The Middle Tennessee volleyball team is back on the road Friday and Saturday, heading up to the E.A. Diddle Arena to take on rivals Western Kentucky.
The Blue Raiders (14-4, 5-1 Conference USA) enter the weekend on fire, winning 10 of their last 11 and four straight. WKU (12-6, 6-0) has been as expected, sitting atop of CUSA and winning its last seven.
MTSU is outright second in CUSA after Liberty and Missouri State fell to 4-2.
Quick Hits
--With the first RPI rankings of the season released, both WKU (No. 29) and MTSU (No. 78) both come in ranked in the top 100. The Hilltoppers are the highest RPI team the Blue Raiders have faced this season and first Q1 opponent of the season.
--MTSU took home two Conference USA weekly awards after a weekend sweep of FIU Oct. 9-10. Michaela Dlouhá and Sophia Henry won Defensive and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively. Both Dlouhá and Henry have been integral to the success of the Blue Raiders in their hot streak, with Dlouhá top three in the country in blocks (101) and Henry second in the conference in kills (250).
--Middle Tennessee posted its season-high hitting percentage Oct. 10 versus FIU, posting a .390 mark in a sweep of the Panthers. Logan Carr led the team with an .889 percentage on the day, picking up eight kills.
--MTSU has been a prolific blocking team in 2026, leading Conference USA in blocks with 168.0, which is good for 31st in the country. Dlouhá and Logan Carr lead the team in blocks with 101 and 58, respectively.
Series History
WKU leads the all-time series versus Middle Tennessee 43-11 and has not lost versus the Blue Raiders in 15 years. The last MTSU win came Oct. 4, 2011, a 3-1 victory in Bowling Green.
Scouting the Hilltoppers
Led by 32nd season head coach Travis Hudson, WKU has been nothing short of stellar during his tenure.
Coming off a CUSA title and their seventh consecutive NCAA Division I Tournament appearance (13th in the last 15 years), the Hilltoppers had a challenging non-conference schedule, but have righted the ship in conference play, having yet to lose.
Breakout sophomore setter Kate Rush runs the offense and leads the charge for WKU, leading CUSA in aces (37) and assists (678). The Hilltoppers do not waste the opportunities Rush sets up
for them, putting together a .291 hitting percentage on the season, which is first in CUSA and 10th in the country.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Both matches on the weekend will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available on StatBroadcast.
Stay up to date with Blue Raider Volleyball on Instagram (@mt_volleyball), X (@MT_Volleyball), and Facebook (Middle Tennessee Volleyball).
The Blue Raiders (14-4, 5-1 Conference USA) enter the weekend on fire, winning 10 of their last 11 and four straight. WKU (12-6, 6-0) has been as expected, sitting atop of CUSA and winning its last seven.
MTSU is outright second in CUSA after Liberty and Missouri State fell to 4-2.
Quick Hits
--With the first RPI rankings of the season released, both WKU (No. 29) and MTSU (No. 78) both come in ranked in the top 100. The Hilltoppers are the highest RPI team the Blue Raiders have faced this season and first Q1 opponent of the season.
--MTSU took home two Conference USA weekly awards after a weekend sweep of FIU Oct. 9-10. Michaela Dlouhá and Sophia Henry won Defensive and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively. Both Dlouhá and Henry have been integral to the success of the Blue Raiders in their hot streak, with Dlouhá top three in the country in blocks (101) and Henry second in the conference in kills (250).
--Middle Tennessee posted its season-high hitting percentage Oct. 10 versus FIU, posting a .390 mark in a sweep of the Panthers. Logan Carr led the team with an .889 percentage on the day, picking up eight kills.
--MTSU has been a prolific blocking team in 2026, leading Conference USA in blocks with 168.0, which is good for 31st in the country. Dlouhá and Logan Carr lead the team in blocks with 101 and 58, respectively.
Series History
WKU leads the all-time series versus Middle Tennessee 43-11 and has not lost versus the Blue Raiders in 15 years. The last MTSU win came Oct. 4, 2011, a 3-1 victory in Bowling Green.
Scouting the Hilltoppers
Led by 32nd season head coach Travis Hudson, WKU has been nothing short of stellar during his tenure.
Coming off a CUSA title and their seventh consecutive NCAA Division I Tournament appearance (13th in the last 15 years), the Hilltoppers had a challenging non-conference schedule, but have righted the ship in conference play, having yet to lose.
Breakout sophomore setter Kate Rush runs the offense and leads the charge for WKU, leading CUSA in aces (37) and assists (678). The Hilltoppers do not waste the opportunities Rush sets up
for them, putting together a .291 hitting percentage on the season, which is first in CUSA and 10th in the country.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Both matches on the weekend will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available on StatBroadcast.
Stay up to date with Blue Raider Volleyball on Instagram (@mt_volleyball), X (@MT_Volleyball), and Facebook (Middle Tennessee Volleyball).
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
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