Western Kentucky volleyball coach Travis Hudson has had a little more time to relax over the past week.

About this time last season, Hudson was feverishly sifting through Ratings Percentage Index numbers and other statistics while making a case for his team to earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.

But after winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament last week, Hudson and the Lady Toppers entered Sunday’s tourney selection day with a much calmer demeanor.

“It was a much more enjoyable selection show (Sunday) than it was a year ago,” Hudson joked. “But at the same time, there’s still the anxiety of not knowing where you’re going to go and who you’re going to match up with.

“But we’re just excited to be still playing.”

Also unlike a season ago, WKU’s first round matchup on Friday will be against a familiar opponent.

The Lady Toppers meet Cincinnati on Friday in Champaign, Ill., as part of the University Park, Pa., Regional.

WKU and Cincinnati have met in each of the past seven seasons. The Bearcats are undefeated in that stretch, with their most recent victory a 3-1 win at E.A. Diddle Arena in October.

But Hudson said he has a different team now than he did two months ago, and he is confident his group can compete Friday.

“That was when Aquilla Orr was just getting back from her injury and now we’re much more settled than we were then,” he said. “Cincinnati is more than a formidable opponent - they’re the Big East regular season champions. They were upset by Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament, and prior to that they haven’t lost a match since September.

“So they’re a very hot team and they’ll be a great first round matchup.”

After earning the Sun Belt’s first ever at-large bid a season ago, the Lady Toppers were swept by Wichita State in the first round.

This time, Hudson expects a more prepared group and a more focused effort.

“I think it will be the most prepared we’ve ever been for an NCAA Tournament match, because it’s such a quick turnaround and we have a pretty extensive look at them already,” he said. “We’re much more serious in our approach in terms of getting in there and trying to get that elusive first win.”

Friday will mark the third time in four years WKU has reached the NCAA Tournament. So while regular-season consistency is building inside the Lady Topper program, the team has yet to earn a tournament victory in the national postseason.

Hudson said getting the first tournament victory is an obvious next step for his program, but a loss certainly won’t diminish what the team has accomplished in recent years.

“It’s just a step our program’s ready to take,” he said. “It’s the next step that I’m looking to take and it’s important to our kids. But on the other hand, we also need to take a step back and keep it in perspective a little bit.

“For us to be making NCAA Tournaments and winning conference championships is something that five, six, seven years ago was unthinkable here. But until someone proves to me that it can’t be done, we’re going to keep pushing forward to try and make it happen.”