WKU Volleyball: Anderson and Isenbarger earn C-USA honors
Conference USA has announced that WKU Volleyball’s Rachel Anderson and Katie Isenbarger have been named the league’s Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, respectively. The weekly recognitions are the first for any Lady Toppers this season after the team posted a perfect 3-0 weekend to win its own Holiday Inn-University Plaza Invitational.
The Red and White’s pair of honorees made their presence known in the middle of the court across tournament play. Both started all three matches as middle hitters as they combined for 64 kills and 18 blocks across weekend action while helping the Lady Toppers extend their NCAA-best home winning streak to 27 matches.
In an immensely emotional weekend for the WKU Volleyball program, Anderson provided exactly what the team needed out of her – consistency. The senior middle hitter recorded three-straight double-digit kill performances – including a weekend-best 14 over Notre. In her first match of the weekend, Anderson found the floor for a kill 10 of the 14 times she was set for a scorching .643 hitting clip. The Sturgis, Michigan, native amassed 37 kills across the weekend to go along with seven blocks and eight digs. Anderson has posted eight double-digit kill performances on the 2018 campaign.
Anderson is up to five Conference USA awards in her career with three of the Offensive variety. The previous Lady Topper to collect an Offensive Player of the Week honor was Alyssa Cavanaugh on October 23, 2017.
After beginning the season on the bench as a reserve, freshman Isenbarger started every match for the Lady Toppers over the weekend and is proving to be a pivotal piece for the young WKU squad. The Zionsville, Ind., native deposited 27 kills on the weekend including 11 against Miami (OH) for her third double-digit kill performance of the year. Isenbarger went on to rack up a team-best 11 blocks on the weekend – including three solo. She went on to add seven digs to extend numerous long rallies for the Lady Toppers.
Isenbarger’s recognition is the first of her career on The Hill. The previous Freshman of the Week award collected by a Lady Topper went to none other than Anderson on September 28, 2015.
