NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The Western Michigan volleyball team snapped a modest two-match losing streak with a strong road effort halfway across the country, defeating the Iona Gaels 3-1 (22-25, 25-14, 25-16, 25-23) at the Hynes Center on Thursday. With the win, the Broncos carry a 6-4 record into the Seawolves Invite at Stony Brook that starts on Sept. 19.
Alysia Baznik recorded her sixth double-double of the season with a match-high 17 kills to go with 10 digs, as well as two blocks and an ace. Sydney LeMay had a dominant night at the middle blocker position, recording 12 kills on 21 swings with just two errors for a .476 hitting percentage while also adding four blocks. Caroline Rose had the match high with 19 digs in just four sets, and Lexie Pawlik had 43 assists.
The Broncos shut down the Gaels with a powerful defensive effort, recording 9.0 team blocks and holding their opponents to just a .109 hitting percentage for the match. After Iona hit .290 in the first set, they never again hit better than .100 in a set for the rest of the match.
After WMU dropped a narrow decision in the first set, they came out in fire in the second set, jumping out to an impressive 9-2 lead with a run that included a block by LeMay and ALi Gossen and was capped by an ace from Baznik. Olivia Kofie, returning to action for the first time in two weeks after suffering an injury, recorded a kill to make it a 14-6 advantage, and Sierra Hubbard-Neil saw to it that the Broncos were the first to 20 points with a kill. Kofie ripped a kill to up the Broncos' lead to 11 points at 23-12, and sophomore outside hitter Mikaela Ryshytylo subbed in off the bench for the set-ending ace at 24-15.
The script remained the same in the third set, with Baznik launching a kill to give WMU a lead they would never relinquish on the first point of the game. LeMay bounced a kill down for a 10-6 WMU lead, and Baznik made it 15-9 with a kill of her own a few points later. Pawlik floated a service ace to put the Broncos up 20-11, and the two teams traded the final 10 points of the set before LeMay closed out the set with a kill at 25-16.
The Gaels fired back to start the fourth set, taking a 12-6 lead off a kill by Shannon Ward and looking to poush the match to five sets. The Broncos chipped away, however, and eventually took the lead at 13-12 when Kassandra Darnaby committed an attack error. The teams fourth back and forth, as Iona took a 16-15 lead on a kill by Catrina Warren and leading as late as 23-22 after Desiree Scoggin committed a service error. LeMay got the equalizer with a kill on the next point, and Kofie bounced one to put the Broncos up 24-23 on the next point. Kofie was responsible for the final point of the match, as well, solo-blocking Taylor Cembalisty on the final point for the 25-23 win.
