KALAMAZOO -- The Western Michigan volleyball team rode a career-best 22 kill performance by
Jessica Brown to a 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 15-14, 25-23) win over Eastern Michigan for WMU's 20th straight home win in front of 1,319 fans at University Arena on Saturday night.
Brown, who's previous career high of 20 kills came against Miami on Nov. 7, 2009, led all attackers on the night and also hit a game-high .439. Senior
Allyson Doyle was one kill away from her 45th career kill-dig double-double but settled for nine kills, 24 digs and also led the team with four block assists.
Ashley Turnage had five total blocks on two solo blocks and three block assists and also added eight kills.
Ali Gossen was the only other Bronco to reach double-digit kills with 13. Junior setter
Sam Viox reached a double-double in the win with 53 assists and 14 digs.
Western Michigan pulled in a stellar defensive effort, holding Eastern Michigan to .132 hitting on the night. Freshman libero
Lena Oliver led the way wtih 28 digs, including seven in the third set when they held the Eagles to a -.024 hitting percentage.
The Broncos took the first set 25-23 after going back and forth with the Eagles. The set featured 11 lead changes until a kill by Viox gave the Broncos a 21-20 lead and WMU held on for good. Doyle finished off the Eagles with a kill after EMU had rallied to bring the Eagles back within one, 24-23. Gossen led the way for the Broncos with seven kills in the first set, while Doyle had two kills, five digs and two block-assists.
In the second set Western Michigan got out to a 6-0 run to take the lead. The Eagles chipped away at first before going on a 6-0 run of their own to eventually take the lead 11-10. The teams traded points until the 15-15 mark when Eastern Michigan strung together two straight points to give the Eagles a 17-15 lead. Doyle cut the lead to one after a kill but the Eagles extended their lead after a kill and an attacking error on WMU to go up 19-16. After a kill by Gossen the Eagles added two straight points to take their largest lead of the set at 21-17. The Broncos would cut it to three at 21-18 but the Eagles quickly closed out the set at 25-19. EMU's Jenn Swartz had six of her 13 kills in the set, while Rachel Iaquaniello had five kills for the Eagles.
Eastern Michigan built an early 4-1 lead to open the third set but the Broncos responded with a 9-0 run to take the lead 10-4. Western Michigan extended its lead to 20-7, its largest of the set. Eastern Michigan cut the lead to 20-11, but a kill by Brown pushed it back to double-digits where it stayed until she finished off Eastern Michigan for the set 25-14. The sophomore middle blocker had nine of her match-high 22 kills in the third set win for the Broncos.
The fourth and final set mirrored the first with the two teams exchanging leads and ties until the Broncos took their final lead of the night after a kill by Viox to make it 11-10. From there the Broncos and Eagles battled with WMU increasing its lead to 20-16 for the largest of the set after one of six fourth-set kills by Brown. After a service error by the Broncos EMU brought the lead within one at 21-10 but the Broncos pushed it back to 23-20 after back-to-back kills by Brown and Turnage. The Eagles tried to rally and after a block assist by Iaquaniello and Kristen Baker cut the lead to 24-23 but Gossen 13th kill of the night finished the set and the match.
The Broncos now earn a bye in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament and will travel to Toledo on Friday. Their opponent has yet to be determined.
