KENT, Ohio – The Western Michigan volleyball team produced a strong second set to tie the overall match, but it was not enough to overcome the home team as the Broncos fell on the road 3-1 (18-25, 25-20, 19-25, 21-25) to Kent State on Saturday. With the loss, the Broncos fall to 15-10 on the season, 6-4 in Mid-American Conference play.
Olivia Kofie and Sydney LeMay each tied for the team-high with 15 kills, with LeMay also contributing an excellent .538 hitting percentage by committing just one error in 26 swings. Alysia Baznik fell one dig shy of recording her 14th double-double of the season, recording 14 kills and nine digs. Sierra Hubbard-Neil led the Broncos with a total of 19 digs in the match, with Caroline Rose coming in second with 13 digs. Lexie Pawlik recorded 49 assists in four sets.
The strongest push of the night came in the second set, when the Broncos took an early lead against the Golden Flashes and held on throughout for a dominant 25-20 win. After a Kent State attack error broke a 4-4 tie, LeMay bounced a kill from the middle to push WMU ahead 6-4 and there was no looking back. The closest the Flashes got the rest of the set was a few points later after a kill made it 7-6 in favor of the Broncos, but WMU proceeded to rip off a 6-1 run to put the set out of reach. Baznik helped WMU win the race to 10 points with a kill at 10-7, and Pawlik floated two straight service aces to put the Broncos ahead 13-7.
The lead hit its high point later in the set after a kill from Ali Gossen made it 18-10, and that advantage was matched a few points later thanks to a kill from LeMay at 19-11. Baznik put WMU ahead 23-17 with a kill, Kofie forced set point with one a few points later, and a Kent State handling error ultimately gave the Broncos the set victory.
Things were close throughout much of the third set, with WMU pulling to within one point of the Golden Flashes when Pawlik tipped a kill over to make it 18-17. Kent State pulled away from there, though, scoring seven of the final nine points to take the set 25-19. The script was similar in the fourth set, with the Broncos pulling to within two points late thanks to a Liz Reikow error at 22-20. Kent State recorded two straight points to right the ship, and Kelsey Bittinger finished off the set and the match with a kill.
