INDIANAPOLIS – Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Bontrager collected her second double-double of the season as Western Michigan volleyball defeated IUPUI in four sets (25-19, 23-25, 33-31, 25-22) on Friday night at the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational.

Bontrager led WMU for the fourth match in a row with a match-high 22 kills to go along with 15 digs. Against the Jaguars, Bontrager recorded a .259 attack percentage along with four blocks and two service aces. On the season the sophomore outside hitter has 81 kills, averaging 4.50 kills per set.

Joining Bontrager in the double digit kills club was freshman Meredith Phillips who totaled a career-high 12 kills with a .345 attack percentage. Junior Kate Carey ranked third on the team with nine kills and had four blocks and two digs.

Senior Mary Murphy neared a double-double with 43 assists and eight digs against IUPUI. The senior setter also collected one kill, one service ace and two blocks. The
Broncos had four players with double digit digs with junior Kathleen Reilly leading the way with 20.

As a team the Broncos had a .229 attack percentage compared to IUPUI's .183. At the net defensively the Broncos were dominant, posting 12 blocks to IUPUI's seven.

With the win, WMU currently is riding a three-match win streak with an overall record of 3-2. It's a quick turnaround for the Brown & Gold, ending the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 1 with a doubleheader against Northern Arizona and SIU-Edwardsville.

In the first set the Broncos battled the Jaguars with neither team gaining an edge resulting in a 15-15 tie. A service ace by sophomore Emma Yarber gave WMU a 16-15 lead and forced IUPUI to call a timeout. To end the set, the Broncos went on a remarkable 6-0 run to win the first set, 25-18.

It was a back and forth battle yet again in the second set as IUPUI led by five early before the Broncos stormed back to tie the match at 17-17. The comeback was highlighted by back-to-back kills by Phillips to bring WMU to within one. WMU got to within one late in the second before the Jaguars scored four of the final six points to win the second set and tie the match at 1-1.

Neither team led by more than three in the third set as the Broncos earned the third set victory, 33-31. A 3-0 run gave WMU a 22-21 lead before the two teams traded points until a block by sophomore Cassandra Smigiel tied the match at 30-30. With the third set tied at 31-31, an IUPUI attack error and a kill by Bontrager gave WMU a narrow 33-31 third set victory.

In the fourth set it was all WMU as the Broncos held IUPUI to a .122 attack percentage en route to a 25-22 set and match victory. The Broncos totaled five blocks compared to IUPUI's two in the fourth with Smiegiel leading the way with three kills in the set for WMU.