Western Kentucky volleyball coach Travis Hudson has announced the addition of defensive specialist Logan Kael to the Lady Topper roster.

An incoming junior, Kael played her first two seasons at West Florida, a Division II school in Pensacola.

Kael racked up 500 digs across 31 matches and 117 sets in 2018. She added 41 aces from the service line in addition to earning her third Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor. As a sophomore, Kael collected Second Team All-Gulf South Conference recognition along with recording her 1,000th career dig Nov. 10, 2018, in a win over Montevallo.

In her debut season as an Argonaut, Kael became the program’s first-ever AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year and Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year. She was honored twice as the league’s Defensive Player of the Week and three times as the Freshman of the Week. Kael played in 36 matches and 128 sets as a freshman, leading the team with 535 digs to go along with her 29 aces.

West Florida posted a 55-15 overall record in Kael’s two years.

Kael is from Knoxville, Tenn., where she played a majority of her prep ball at Bearden High School. She capped her high school career by playing her senior season at Maryville High School. As a junior, Kael racked up 882 digs across 117 sets played to go along with 52 aces. Kael notched 417 digs and 93 aces in her 113 sets of action as a senior.

WKU opens the season against Loyola on Aug. 30 in Toledo, Ohio, at the Toledo Blue & Gold Tournament.

Lady Toppers to host

Volleyball 101 event

Western Kentucky will hold its third annual Volleyball 101 event Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The outing begins with the Lady Toppers’ second inter-squad scrimmage of the preseason open to the public at 11 a.m., before shifting into a youth clinic with the WKU players and assistant coaches while head coach Travis Hudson conducts an educational session in the Paul Just Media Center to break down the game and strategies.

WKU Volleyball 101 is designed to educate fans of all experience levels that would like to learn more about the sport of volleyball.

Action will open on the Diddle Arena main court with an hourlong WKU volleyball scrimmage. At noon, the Lady Toppers will host an hourlong youth clinic.

Parking and event admission is free. Fans are encouraged to park in Parking Structure 2 (between Diddle Arena and L.T. Smith Stadium).