KALAMAZOO, Mich.  –  In its first Mid-American Conference match of the season, the Western Michigan volleyball team swept its in-state rival Eastern Michigan (25-16, 25-17, 27-25) on Friday night inside University Arena.

Against the Eagles the Broncos recorded a stellar .348 attack percentage as five Broncos had an attack percentage of .400. On the defensive end, WMU held EMU to a .148 attack percentage while registering five blocks.

Leading the way for the Brown & Gold was junior Rachel Bontrager with 15 kills and a .419 attack percentage. Bontrager also amassed six digs and two solo blocks. Behind Bontrager was freshman Maggie King with nine kills along with one block and four digs. The sophomore duo of Meredith Phillips and Janell Williams ranked third with eight kills each.

In her quest for 2,000 career digs, senior Kathleen Reilly amassed 13 digs against EMU and is now just two away from becoming the third player in program history to eclipse the 2,000 mark. Junior Mary Marzo led the way with 27 assists and nearly notched a double-double with eight digs.

WMU recorded its third sweep of the season and improved its overall record to 10-3, 1-0 in MAC play. The Broncos are back in action on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 5:00 p.m. against in-state rival Central Michigan.

Set One (WMU – 25, EMU – 16)
The Broncos trailed for just two points in the first set and recorded a .400 attack percentage en route to the 25-16 set one victory.

After regaining the lead early in the first, the Broncos rattled off multiple points to gain a 14-8 advantage and force the Eagles to call a timeout. WMU extended its lead later in the set thanks to back-to-back kills from Phillips and Williams to take a 20-14 lead.
The Broncos ended the first on a 7-2 run to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

Set Two (WMU – 25, EMU – 17)
WMU got off to a fast start in the second, embarking on a 6-0 run midway through the set to take a 13-7 lead. The Broncos extended their lead later in the set after a Bontrager kill followed by a WMU block sparked a 4-0 run and gave WMU a 22-13 advantage. WMU ended the set with back-to-back kills from King to earn a 2-0 lead in the match.

Set Three (WMU – 27, EMU – 25)
The third and final set was a battle between the Broncos and the Eagles as the two teams traded points early and often en route to a 13-13 tie. However, WMU responded with a stellar 6-0 run to gain a 19-13 lead.

EMU responded back late and fought its way back to tie the match at 22-22. After the two teams traded points and the scored tied at 25-25, the Brown & Gold got a kill from Bontrager along with a block from King and redshirt sophomore Charley Andrews for the set and match victory.