wku hilltoppers

WKU Hilltopper Basketball sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight discusses the team’s seven-game winning streak in 17 days, building chemistry and momentum through the win streak, his dominant week in helping WKU to three wins in six days, how the team dug deep to overcome a five-game losing skid, him embracing his role as a leader, the pride he takes in being an all-around player, what sold him on coming to WKU, and what he wants to see from the Hilltoppers leading into the conference tournament.

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WKU Track and Cross Country sophomore distance runner Lucy Rutherford discusses her recruiting process and decision to attend WKU, transitioning into college during a pandemic, her strong start to her college career, competing under coach Brooks LeCompte, having a close-knit group amongst the distance runners, getting to compete in the Music City Challenge, how she originally got involved in the steeplechase event, and what to expect from this week’s C-USA Indoor Championships.

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WKU Soccer senior defender Lyric Schmidt discusses a busy and successful 2021 calendar year with two full seasons of competition, the benefits of playing two seasons in such a short time period, her role on WKU’s stout defense, her decision to return for a fifth COVID year in 2022, getting to play another season with teammate Ambere Barnett, and her individual and team goals for her final year.

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WKU Softball junior pitcher Katie Gardner discusses having her jersey retired at Warren East High School, her journey to WKU, being a role model for softball players in the area, how she’s grown during her time on the Hill, winning the 2021 C-USA Championship on their home field, her preparation for the 2022 season, and her goals for the upcoming season.

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WKU coed cheerleader Dakota Finerman discusses his squad winning a national championship earlier this month in Orlando, what it means to take home the program’s first coed national title, the preparation that goes into competing for a cheer championship, how he got into cheer after injuries ended his cross country career, how his relationship with WKU head coach Alli Lumpkin has helped guide his college career, and what he sees for the future of WKU Cheer.

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Legendary former Lady Topper Basketball head coach Paul Sanderford discusses his 1992 National Runner-Up Team, which will be honored this weekend, as well as his time on The Hill, the current Lady Toppers and the success of all women’s athletics at WKU. 

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WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart returns to the show to discuss one of the most remarkable days in Hilltopper history – the Dec. 18 combination of WKU Football's bowl win on ESPN and Hilltopper Basketball's home victory over Louisville on CBS – as well as Bailey Zappe's record-breaking season at quarterback, the dominant success of Hilltopper Volleyball, and the way WKU and the community have come together in the wake of the Dec. 11 tornadoes. Note: This podcast was recorded shortly after Dec. 18, but held due to Hilltopper Basketball's added game against Kentucky and the Christmas holiday.

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WKU Football graduate senior quarterback Bailey Zappe discusses winning the Conference USA East Division championship Saturday at Marshall, the talented teammates he plays with on offense, closing in on the NCAA all-time single season touchdown and passing yardage records, his relationship with offensive coordinator Zach Kittley, how the team stayed the course after a 1-4 start, getting buzz in the Heisman Trophy candidate discussion, and this week’s upcoming rematch against UTSA for the Conference USA championship.

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WKU Volleyball senior middle hitter Lauren Matthews discusses winning another Conference USA championship and earning the NCAA Tournament berth, defeating Rice again and winning three straight C-USA Tournament MVP awards, the support of fans – and even a rival program – at the tournament, what it means to win the C-USA Player of the Year award named for late WKU legend Alyssa Cavanaugh, how her improved defensive skills led to C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, what has helped her sustained offensive success over several years, the team’s chemistry between veterans and underclassmen, the challenges of playing two seasons in a calendar year because of COVID-19, her relationship with coach Travis Hudson, and a look ahead to the NCAA Tournament.

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WKU Volleyball fifth-year senior defensive specialist Logan Kael discusses last weekend’s pair of wins over Charlotte, having never lost a regular season Conference USA match in her three seasons with the program, what Senior Night was like for her, how she decided to return to WKU for an extra COVID year, her thoughts on the impact of the team’s newcomers, her decision to come to the Hill, her relationship with head coach Travis Hudson, favorite memories from her time at WKU, and the upcoming C-USA Tournament.

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WKU Hilltopper Basketball head coach Rick Stansbury returns to the show to discuss preparations for the 2021-22 season, the leadership of Luke Frampton and Dayvion McKnight, handling an influx of transfers in the first year of the transfer portal, Josh Anderson’s decision to return to WKU for a fifth season, what to expect overall from this year’s roster, the impact of 7-5 center Jamarion Sharp, a challenging non-conference schedule, and what it will mean to have Diddle Arena back at full capacity.

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WKU Lady Topper Basketball head coach Greg Collins discusses the upcoming season, what was learned through last season in a pandemic, bringing back key pieces like Meral Abdelgawad and Hope Sivori, what to expect from some of the newcomers, the impact of crowds returning to Diddle Arena, the team’s non-conference schedule, and a change to a more up-tempo style of play.

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WKU Football redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Rusty Staats discusses the team’s victory at Old Dominion last weekend, the offensive line’s role in the Hilltoppers’ explosive offense, his respect for quarterback Bailey Zappe, playing center in a creative offensive scheme, moving into a starting role at that position, WKU’s history of standout offensive linemen, and what he’s learned from some of the Hilltopper linemen who came before him.

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WKU Director of Student-Athlete Career Development McKenzie Watson discusses implementing the The Hilltopper CLIMB program, her background as a volleyball student-athlete at Kentucky, how her experiences as a student-athlete shape her work in career development, how she ended up in her position at WKU, working with a large number of student-athletes every day, and her future plans for WKU Athletics’ programming.

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WKU Softball alum and new Olympic medalist Larissa Franklin discusses winning a bronze medal with Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Games, what the training process was like for the delayed Olympics, being one of five Hilltoppers competing in Tokyo, becoming the first medalist in WKU Softball history and the third medalist in WKU Athletics history, what life has been like since returning from Japan, playing against WKU in an exhibition with Team Canada this past spring, and her thoughts on the Hilltoppers’ conference championship in May.

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WKU Women’s Golf sophomore Rachel Rich discusses the team’s chemistry, their most recent finish at the Lady Paladin Invitational in her home state of South Carolina, her freshman-year experience, her recruitment process to WKU, how the team bonds off the golf course, what it’s like to be coached by Adam Gary, and goals for the team and herself individually headed into the rest of the season. 

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WKU Soccer sophomore midfielder Brina Micheels discusses the team’s 2-0 start in conference play, her two-goal performance in a win over Vanderbilt, WKU’s comeback win at Marshall in the C-USA opener, the team’s defensive prowess lifting the offense, how she ended up on The Hill, what’s strengthened the team’s chemistry, her freshman season which included an East Division championship, her popular Instagram account (@skillchallenges) with nearly 90,000 followers, and her goals for the stretch run of the season.

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WKU Volleyball freshman outside hitter Katie Howard discusses playing her first matches in Diddle Arena and earning her first start, her experience watching the program growing up as a Bowling Green native, the start of the 2021 season, the impact the seniors have made on her and the team, the chemistry off the court amongst the players, her recruitment process to WKU, what it means to play for head coach Travis Hudson and his staff, and her goals for this season.

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WKU Football junior receiver Jerreth Sterns discusses his two-touchdown debut in the Hilltoppers’ win over UT Martin, his transition after transferring from Houston Baptist, making that move with his brother, quarterback Bailey Zappe and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley, his bond with his brother and fellow WKU receiver Josh Sterns, the debate over who's the best bowler on the team, his academic success and pursuit of a degree in finance, and this week’s game at Army.

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To open Season 2 of the show, WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart discusses a return to full capacity for the 2021-22 season, how WKU continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the fan experience back to college athletics, the start of football season, expectations for WKU Volleyball and Soccer, the new “Champions Climb Here” campaign, how the athletic department is handling Name, Image and Likeness, and his vision for WKU Athletics moving forward.

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