Bowling Green, Kentucky — Western Kentucky University’s volleyball team has secured its place in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, marking the program’s 17th appearance. The Hilltoppers earned an automatic bid by clinching their ninth Conference USA tournament championship.
Western Kentucky will face off against the No. 6 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday, December 5, at 3:30 p.m. CT. The match will be held at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. Following this matchup, the host team, the No. 3 seed Kentucky Wildcats, will compete against Cleveland State University at 6:30 p.m.
The winners of both matches will advance to play on Friday at 6 p.m. Tickets for the tournament are available through Kentucky Athletics. All-session tickets will go on sale Tuesday at 8 a.m. CT, while single match tickets can be purchased starting Wednesday at 8 a.m. CT.
This will mark the second meeting between WKU and Minnesota, with the Golden Gophers holding a 1-0 advantage. The teams last faced each other in 1984, when Minnesota achieved a 3-0 victory.
Minnesota comes into the tournament with a record of 20-10, including a 13-7 standing in the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have notable wins against teams such as Texas, Wisconsin, and UCLA. Should the Hilltoppers emerge victorious against Minnesota, they will face either Kentucky or Cleveland State in the next round.
Kentucky boasts a 20-7 overall record with a 14-2 mark in the SEC, having secured its automatic bid by winning the SEC tournament. Meanwhile, Cleveland State holds a record of 23-9 and also earned an automatic berth after winning the Horizon League tournament with an 11-7 record.
The Hilltoppers are making their sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and have secured nine of the ten available automatic bids since joining Conference USA prior to the 2014 season. Last year, WKU defeated Coastal Carolina in the first round before falling to Tennessee in the second round.
The opening rounds of the NCAA tournament will take place over the week from Thursday to Saturday, followed by regionals from December 12 to 15. The Final Four is scheduled for December 19 in Tampa, with the national championship match set for December 22.
