Women's Volleyball | August 19, 2017
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team wrapped up its preseason with an exhibition game against Ferris State on Friday afternoon.
The Bulldogs, the preseason No. 14 team in Division II, bested the Broncos 3-2 (26-24, 17-25, 23-25, 21-25, 15-5) in the match that was predetermined to play all five sets regardless of outcome. Every player on the team saw time on the floor for WMU.
Senior Sydney LeMay and sophomore Quinna Ware led all players with 16 kills on the day. LeMay also had a game-high .560 hitting percentage. Freshman Rachel Bontrager had 12 kills on the night. Sophomore libero Kathleen Reilly and freshmen libero Kaley Smith tied for the team lead with 19 digs. Smith played the majority of the second and the third set in the libero position. Junior setter Mary Murphy led the team with 41 assists.
Western Michigan took the first set in a close one, 26-25. Bontrager had five of her kills in the set, while LeMay also had four. WMU jumped out to an early lead and led by four with a10-6 lead. The Bulldogs started chipping away at the lead and eventually tied it up at 15-15 on a WMU attack error. FSU took a 19-18 lead on a kill by Ayanna Buckley, their only lead of the set. WMU rallied back to take a 20-19 lead and the teams traded points to 24-24 after another Bronco attack error. Freshman Cassandra Smigiel gave the Broncos a 25-24 lead and the set was sealed on a FSU attack error.
WMU started a completely different lineup for the second set, playing four different freshmen. Ferris State got the best of the set, taking it 25-17. The Broncos mixed experience and youth in the third set but the Bulldogs once again got the best of them, winning the set 25-23.
Ferris State won its third-straight set, 25-21, in the fourth. FSU held WMU to a .167 hitting percentage, including eight attack errors.
In the fifth and final set WMU dominated, jumping out to a 10-2 lead. Willow Martin served for six-straight points, including two aces, to help build the lead. With a 14-5 advantage, Bontrager recorded her 12th kill of the game to win the final set.
Western Michigan heads to Knoxville, Tenn., for the DISH Tennessee Classic on Friday and Saturday. WMU opens the tournament taking on the host Volunteers on Friday at 4 p.m. The game can be seen live on the SEC + Network. On Saturday the Broncos take on George Washington at 10 a.m. and then Wofford later in the afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
The Broncos return to University Arena on Thursday, Sept. 7 to open the Holiday Inn West Invitational at 7 p.m.
