KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team won its fourth-straight game in Mid-American Conference play after taking down Eastern Michigan, 3-1 (25-15, 18-25, 25-23, 25-20), on Saturday afternoon.

Senior middle blocker Sydney LeMay led the way for the Broncos with 15 kills on the night and a .414 hitting percentage, both match highs. Freshman outside hitter Rachel Bontrager had 13 kills and 14 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Sophomore right-side hitter Quina Ware also reached double-digit kills with 11 and a .412 hitting percentage. WMU (11-4, 4-0 MAC) was a whole hit .247 on the night, with junior setter Mary Murphy accumulating 49 assists. Three-time MAC West Defensive Player of the Week Kathleen Reilly led the match with 25 digs.

WMU dominated the first set, hitting .500 to dispatch the Eagles 25-15. Ware had four of her kills in the set, while Bontrager, LeMay and Olivia Kofie each had three. After trading points to open the set a kill by Ware gave WMU a 5-4 lead and the squad never looked back. The lead grew to 13-8 after a kill by LeMay. After a kill by Bontrager WMU led 15-10 and went on a 10-5 run to close out the set.

EMU gave the Broncos fits in the second set, hitting .480. A kill by Kelly Ferguson broke an 8-8 tie in favor of the Eagles that turned into a 5-0 run to create 13-8 lead.  Eastern Michigan held WMU at bay for the rest of the set and won 25-18.

The third set was a nail-biter that saw WMU come out on top 25-23 after eight ties and just one lead change. EMU jumped out to an 8-2 lead to put immediate pressure on the Broncos. WMU responded with a 5-0 run to chip away at the lead and eventually tied it for the first time at 13-13 after an ace by Reilly. The teams traded points until a block by Kofie and Murphy gave the Broncos its first and only lead of the game at 19-18. The Eagles would tie the set four more times but at 23-23 and attack error on Cassie Haut gave the Broncos set point. Willow Martin finished off the set with a kill, 25-23.

IN the final set the Broncos jumped out to an early lead and never trailed. Eastern Michigan managed to tie it at 2-2 and 4-4 but a service error on EMU's Alyssa LaFace gave the Broncos a 5-4 advantage and the team never looked back. LeMay had five kills and Murphy had 14 assists as WMU finished off the Eagles 25-20.

Western Michigan heads out on the road for its next four matches. Up first is a trip to Ball State next Friday at 7 p.m. and then on to Toledo on Saturday for a 5 p.m. start.