MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Western Michigan volleyball team nearly rallied back from a two-set deficit to force a decisive fifth set, but the Broncos fell just short in dropping a 3-1 (19-25, 21-25, 25-22, 22-25) decision to the Milwaukee Panthers at the Pepsi Panther Invitational. The Broncos fall to 0-1 on the season, marking the first year they've dropped their season opener since 2012.
Alysia Baznik notched a team-high 14 kills on 33 swings with just a single error for an excellent .394 attack percentage, while sophomore opposite Olivia Kofie posted 11 kills and four blocks. Two Broncos making their debuts in Brown and Gold authored strong efforts, as well. Junior middle blocker Nicole Kinser recorded 12 kills on 23 swings with just two errors for a .435 hitting percentage, while freshman setter Mary Murphy dished out 44 assists.
The Broncos excelled in controlling action at the net, recording 10.0 blocks compared to just 5.0 for the Panthers. Murphy led the way with five blocks, Kofie added four, and Kinser contributed three rejections.
WMU tried to battle their way back into the match, clinching a close decision in the third set to push the Panthers back on their heels. Milwaukee scored the first three points of the set but the Broncos countered with five straight, tying the set with a kill from Baznik and adding back-to-back blocks – a solo shot from Baznik and a block-assist from Kofie and Bailey Schnell – to make it 5-3. Kofie and and Murphy blocked an attempt by Taylor Mansfield to make it 11-9 but the Panthers fought back and eventually tied the score at 22. Kofie posted a kill to break the stalemate and Sierra Hubbard-Neil made it 24-22 with a kill of her own. The Panthers provided the last point the Broncos needed, with Maddie Williams committing an error on match point as WMU won the set 25-22.
The fourth set was another close affair, with the Broncos falling behind 13-10 but going on a 7-2 run to take the lead on the Panthers. Caroline Rose notched her only ace of the match to tie the set at 14-all, and Kofie pounded a kill to make it 17-15 and force the Panthers into a timeout. Milwaukee made it 22-20 on a Bronco error but Kinser and Hubbard-Neil posted kills on back-to-back points to make it 22-all. The Panthers, though, fired off three straight points to take the set and the match.
Milwaukee took the first set by coming back from a modest deficit early on, cutting a 15-13 lead down and taking the lead for good on a Taylor Mansfield kill that made it 18-17. The Panthers scored seven of the final nine points to seal the first set win. WMU led 10-6 in the second set but again the Panthers recovered, going up 16-15 on a Kinser error and eventually finishing off the set 25-21.
