KALAMAZOO, Mich. – In its final non-conference match of the regular season at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center Tournament, Western Michigan volleyball fell to Michigan State in three sets (19-25, 24-26, 14-25) on Saturday night.
Against the Spartans the Broncos had three players with double digit kills with WMU's newest 1,000 career kill club member
Rachel Bontrager leading the way with 12. Bontrager led the Brown & Gold on the weekend with 40 kills, averaging 3.64 per set.
Sophomore
Meredith Phillips and freshman
Maggie King each had 10 kills against Michigan State with Phillips recording a .286 attack percentage. Junior
Mary Marzo had 33 assists on the night to go along with five digs and one service ace. For the weekend, Marzo collected a staggering 90 assists, averaging 8.18 per set.
Senior
Kathleen Reilly posted 10 digs on the night and is now just 15 away from becoming the third Bronco in program history to eclipse 2,000 career digs. Reilly led WMU with 55 digs over the weekend en route to earning Delta Hotels by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center All-Tournament honors.
Rounding out non-conference play the Broncos finished with an overall record of 9-3. WMU begins Mid-American Conference play next weekend, Sept. 27-28 at home against in-state rivals Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan.
The first set saw both teams trade points early on before Michigan State embarked on a 5-0 run to grab a 12-8 lead. WMU and MSU traded points once again midway through the set before the Spartans ended the first set scoring four of the final five points to earn the 25-19 victory.
In the second set, WMU used a 7-2 run to take a 17-14 lead after Phillips connected on one of her four kills in the second. Michigan State rallied back late and tied the game at 22-22 after back-to-back kills. The two teams went back and forth late in the second before being knotted at 24-24. The Spartans earned the final two points of the set on a kill followed by a WMU attack error.
Michigan State got off to a fast start in the third set, earning a 7-3 lead and ultimately going on a 6-1 run midway through to grab an 18-8 advantage. MSU scored three of the final four points after WMU cut its deficit down to 10 to win the third set and the match. The Spartans in the third set recorded a .345 attack percentage and had three blocks to WMU's one.
