MILWAUKEE, Wisc.  – On Saturday afternoon the Western Michigan volleyball team dropped its first match of the 2019 season to host school Milwaukee in three sets (18-25, 9-25, 15-25) at the Panther Invitational.

Despite the loss on Saturday, the Broncos match their best start since 1996 with an overall record of 8-1. WMU finishes as the runner-up at the Panther Invitational with freshman Maggie King and senior Willow Martin earning All-Tournament team honors.

Against the Panthers, King led the Brown & Gold with eight kills to go along with six digs. Sophomore Meredith Phillips and Martin ranked second on the team with seven kills each with Martin recording a staggering .462 attack percentage.

Freshman Rose Duffy nearly posted a double-double with 12 assists and seven digs while her setting counterpart junior Mary Marzo led the team with 14 assists along with five digs. Senior Kathleen Reilly led the team with 10 digs and is now just 70 digs away from surpassing the 2,000 mark for her career.

As a team the Broncos recorded a .162 attack percentage and had just one service ace against the Panthers. Milwaukee posted a .394 attack percentage on the afternoon and had one block and five service aces.

WMU returns home next weekend for its final non-conference tournament, hosting IUPUI, Auburn and Michigan State for the Delta Hotel by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center Tournament, Sept. 20-21.

In the first set the Broncos and Panthers went back and forth through the first 16 points en route to an 8-8 tie. Milwaukee broke the tie and gained the lead thanks in large part to a
4-0 run. Midway through the set, WMU went on a run of its own, scoring four straight points to cut its deficit down to two. However, down the stretch the Panthers pulled away embarking on a 5-0 run to win the first set, 25-18.

It was a tough second set for the Broncos who hit just .194 as a team, falling to Milwaukee in set two, 25-9. With just nine points in the set, it's the first time this season the Broncos have been held to single digits in a set.

In the third and final set Milwaukee got off to a fast start and enjoyed a 10-5 lead before the Broncos battled back and cut the lead down to 12-8 after a Panther attacking error.
Milwaukee extended its lead midway through the set and jumped out to a nine-point lead with a 3-1 run late to secure the victory.