Benton Central volleyball player Cali Foster commits to Western Kentucky

LAFAYETTE — Ripping shots and taking the opposition's weak points on the court comes second nature to incoming junior outside hitter Cali Foster.

With a career kill percentage of 44.9% and 707 kills while committing 16 fewer errors during her sophomore season, Foster carries calm confidence and athleticism that fit the mold of being a Division I caliber volleyball player, much like her sister Sienna, who will play defensive specialist at Purdue.

Foster announced her commitment to Western Kentucky University on Monday night in Las Vegas.

She is in the middle of club volleyball season, competing for Boiler Juniors at the USA Girls Junior National Championships at Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

"The biggest thing for me finding a program who has a really good culture," Foster said. "Coaches made me feel like family. I feel so close with them and that was a deciding point for me.”

Foster was adamant about playing with a coach with credentials like Travis Hudson. He will be entering his 32nd season with the Hilltoppers by the time Foster graduates in 2026 and carries with him three decades of winning. His accomplishments include 16 NCAA Tournament bids and a list full of regular season and conference championships in the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA.

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"I know (Hudson) will stay there," Foster said. "He's had bigger offers to go coach at bigger schools, but he has kept his his spot. He has so much history there.”

Foster leads a program that lost three key seniors in older sister Sienna, Rachel Tolen and Jaycee Strawsma. Benton Central finished 32-2 and never lost a set during its IHSAA Class 3A sectional championship run. The Bison were halted in the Class 3A regional championship by Bellmont to end the 2023 campaign.

Benton Central sees the return of incoming junior libero Bella Widmer (361 digs in 2023) and returning senior setter Riley Hoaks (610 assists, 150 digs) along with expected returning varsity players.

Playing at Boiler Juniors has allowed Foster to receive the spotlight and get recruited at various tournaments throughout the rest of the country.

She'll receive a break in mid-July before returning to the energy-charged atmosphere of high school volleyball in Indiana.

“The loudest gym I've played in is when we played at Faith because it's so small and their fans are always into it," Foster said. "Harrison’s student section is fired up because we usually play them on their first day of school. I love having the underdog mentality. I love playing on the road and playing in that atmosphere."

Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@gannett.com , on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson .

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Benton Central volleyball player Cali Foster commits to Western Kentucky