FORT WAYNE, Ind.  –  Western Michigan volleyball defeated Northern Kentucky in a thrilling five-set match (25-22, 25-23, 16-25, 23-25, 15-8) to claim the 2019 Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational on Saturday afternoon.

The Broncos swept the weekend in Fort Wayne, Ind., defeating Northern Kentucky along with South Alabama and host school Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday. It's the first time the Broncos have begun a season 3-0 since 2011. 

Against the Norse, WMU recorded a .234 attack percentage with junior Rachel Bontrager and redshirt sophomore Charley Andrews each earning double digit kills. Bontrager nearly recorded her second straight double-double with 21 kills and nine digs.

Andrews posted 13 kills against NKU and led the Broncos with a stellar .522 attack percentage. Freshman Maggie King came one kill and two digs short of notching her first career double-double, ending the match with nine kills and eight digs.

The duo of freshman Rose Duffy and junior Mary Marzo each had double digit assists with Duffy leading the way with 32. Marzo followed behind Duffy with 20 and recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 digs. Leading the way for the Broncos was senior Kathleen Reilly with 25 digs.

WMU held Northern Kentucky to just a .207 attack percentage and was dominant at the net, totaling 11 blocks. Rachel Bontrager, Kathleen Reilly and Charley Andrews were named to the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational All-Tournament team with Bontrager earning Tournament MVP honors. 

The Broncos hit the road once again next weekend, Sept. 6-7 for three match-ups at the Rambler Challenge in Chicago, Ill. WMU will square off with Montana State and Loyola-Maryland on Friday, Sept. 6 before facing host school Loyola-Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Set One (WMU – 25, NKU – 22)
Neither team pulled away in the early stages of set one before the Broncos went on a 4-0 run to grab a 12-7 lead. The run was highlighted by back-to-back blocks from the WMU defense followed by a Northern Kentucky attack error. Late in the set, NKU cut its deficit down to one at 21-20 after embarking on a 3-0 run before WMU regrouped with a timeout. The Norse tied the match at 21-21 out of the timeout before the Brown & Gold went on a 4-1 run to end the first set.

Set Two (WMU – 25, NKU – 23)
It was a fast start for the Broncos in the second set, racing out to a 9-5 lead thanks in large part to a 6-2 run highlighted by two kills from Charley Andrews. The Norse roared back late in the match and gained a slim 19-18 lead after a 3-0 run force WMU to call a timeout. The two teams were tied at 23-23 before a setting error and an attack error on Northern Kentucky propelled WMU to a 2-0 lead in the match.

Set Three (WMU – 16, NKU – 25)_
The third set belonged to Northern Kentucky as the Norse jumped out quickly to a 16-9 lead. In the third set, NKU hit .419 as a team while holding the Broncos to a .167 attack percentage. WMU looked to mount a comeback late in the set after a block by Andrews and King brought the deficit down to 16-24 before a serve error clinched the third set for the Norse.

Set Four (WMU – 23, NKU – 25)
It was a back and forth battle in the fourth set as Northern Kentucky scored the first four points before WMU battled back to tie the set at 6-6 after a kill from Bontrager. From that point on, neither team led by more than three as the two teams traded points midway through the set. Down the stretch the Norse held off the Broncos who cut the deficit down to one after a kill by Bontrager before sending the match to a fifth set with a kill.

Set Five (WMU – 15, NKU – 8)
The script flipped in the fifth and final set as the Broncos hit .318 and held NKU to a .040 attack percentage en route to the 15-8 set victory. WMU raced out to an early 5-2 lead to force NKU to call a timeout. The Norse rallied back and trailed 10-8 before the Brown & Gold ended the match on a 5-0 run to claim the 2019 Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational.