DALLAS - WKU was selected as the 2024 preseason favorite in Conference USA by the league’s ten head coaches. The Hilltoppers’ senior outside hitter
Kaylee Cox was chosen as the CUSA Preseason Player of the Year.
WKU, the 2023 CUSA Champions, finished last season with a 30-5 overall mark and a perfect 16-0 league record. The Hilltoppers enter the season receiving votes in the preseason AVCA poll, which is the 50
th straight poll that WKU have either received votes or been ranked. WKU has won 74 consecutive CUSA regular season matches and hasn’t dropped a match since 2018.
New Mexico State (21-10 overall, 11-5 CUSA) was picked to finish second in the league. The Aggies finished second in the CUSA standings in 2023 and their season ended in the title match of the CUSA Championship.
Cox, a senior at WKU, was selected as the CUSA Preseason Player of the Year. The 2023 AVCA All-Region and CUSA First Team All-Conference member, competed in all 35 matches and 119 sets. She had 392 kills on the season with a .318 hitting percentage. The Flower Mound, Texas, native recorded 22 double-digit kill outings, 13 double-digit dig matches, seven double-doubles, and totaled 466 points for the second-most in CUSA last season.
CUSA teams will compete in a single division this season with the top eight teams qualifying for the 2024 CUSA Volleyball Championship. UTEP will host the single-elimination tournament November 22-24 in El Paso, Texas.
2024 CUSA Preseason Player of the Year
Kaylee Cox, WKU
2024 CUSA Volleyball Preseason Team
| Pos. |
Name, School |
Year |
Hometown |
| OH |
Manu Johnsen, Kennesaw State |
Jr. |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| OH |
Kamryn Bacus, Liberty |
Sr. |
Edmond, Okla. |
| MB |
Madison Blane, Liberty |
Sr. |
Montgomery, Texas |
| OH |
Adri Rhoda, MTSU |
Jr. |
Hutchinson, Minn. |
| OH |
Yasso Amin, NM State |
Gr. |
Cairo, Egypt |
| OH/OPP |
Mari Sharp, NM State |
Gr. |
Albuquerque, N.M. |
| L |
Darian Markham, NM State |
Gr. |
McKinney, Texas |
| OPP |
Ryleigh Whitekettle, NM State |
R-Jr. |
Topsail Beach, N.C. |
| MB |
Danika Washington, UTEP |
Sr. |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| MB |
Kaya Weaver, UTEP |
Jr. |
Galt, Calif. |
| S |
Callie Bauer, WKU |
R-Jr. |
Hudson, Mich. |
| OH |
Kaylee Cox, WKU |
Sr. |
Flower Mound, Texas |
| OPP |
Kenadee Coyle, WKU |
Sr. |
Bloomington, Ind. |
Predicted Order of Finish
| Rank |
School (first-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
WKU (8) |
80 |
| 2. |
NM State (2) |
72 |
| 3. |
UTEP |
66 |
| 4. |
Liberty |
50 |
| 5. |
Middle Tennessee |
48 |
| 6. |
FIU |
40 |
| 7. |
Kennesaw State |
39 |
| 8. |
Jacksonville State |
28 |
| 9. |
Louisiana Tech |
15 |
| 10. |
Sam Houston |
12 |