Women's Volleyball | October 02, 2017

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- For the second-straight weekend the Western Michigan volleyball team swept the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week awards. Kathleen Reilly earned her fourth-straight MAC West Defensive Player of the Week award, while freshman Rachel Bontrager took her first career MAC West Offensive player of the Week honors.

Reilly's defensive effort helped the Broncos stay the only undefeated team in MAC play, starting off 4-0 after a pair of 3-1 wins over Central and Eastern Michigan on Friday and Saturday. Reilly helped hold the Chippewa attack to a .210 hitting percentage on the night. Reilly had 21 digs and was a perfect 32-for-32 on receive attempts. Against the Eagles she had 25 digs and helped hold the Eagles to a .177 hitting percentage. The sophomore libero was also 42-for-43 on receive attempts. For the weekend she averaged 5.75 digs per set to help raise her season total to 5.0. Combined, she had a receive error percentage of .987 and increased her season average to .955.

Bontrager also played key roles in both of WMU's victories. Against Central Michigan she had a match-high 17 kills, out-dueling CMU's Jordan Bueter, who finished with 16. Bontrager also had a career-high four aces in WMU's 3-1 win over the Chippewas and a .448 attacking percentage. In WMU's 3-1 win over Eastern Michigan she had 13 kills and 14 digs for her fourth career double-double. She also finished with five total blocks (1 solo, 4 assist) on the night. For the weekend, to help WMU remain undefeated in the MAC, she averaged 3.75 kills per set and averaged 4.81 points per set. Bontrager raised her season average in kills per set to 3.17.

WMU hits the road in MAC play for the next two weeks. The Broncos travel to Ball State on Friday for a 7 p.m. start and then to Toledo on Saturday for a  5 p.m. start.