Western Kentucky’s Kaylee Cox (right) attempts a kill during the Hilltoppes’ 3-0 win against UTEP on Sept. 23 at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Western Kentucky’s volleyball team was picked to win Conference USA and WKU senior outside hitter Kaylee Cox was named the CUSA Preseason Player of the Year in the preseason coaches’ poll released Thursday.

WKU graduate student setter Callie Bauer and redshirt sophomore opposite hitter Kenadee Coyle also earned spots on the preseason all-conference team.

The Hilltoppers have won 17 of a possible 20 Conference USA titles since joining the league in 2014 and are coming off a season in which they went 30-5 overall and swept the regular season and tournament titles.

Cox finished the 2023 season totaling 392 kills on the season (3.29 per set), landing her second on the team and fourth in CUSA. At the net, she totaled 60 blocks, including 16 solos and 44 total assists.

After helping WKU to its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament second-round appearance, Cox collected several accolades including CUSA First Team All-Conference, CUSA All-Tournament team and AVCA All-Region.

Cox wasn’t alone, however, as Coyle finished the season with a career-best 227 total kills off a .327 hitting clip. She also finished with 71 blocks on the season.

Bauer rounded out the list for the Hilltoppers after a 2023 performance that featured a team-high 1,246 assists that also ranked her in the top 20 nationally. In addition, she picked up 136 kills, 27 service aces and 186 digs on the season.

2024 CUSA Volleyball Preseason Team

Preseason Player of the Year: Kaylee Cox, WKU

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, Gr., Hudson, Mich.

OH – Kaylee Cox, WKU, Sr., Flower Mound, Texas

OPP – Kenadee Coyle, WKU, R-So., 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