EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team dropped it's season-opening match against Michigan State, 3-0 (15-25, 22-25, 29-31), at the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational on Friday night.

Junior outside hitter Maggie King led all players with a game-high 17 kills and narrowly missed out on her first double-double of the season after recording eight digs. Mairead Boyle led the Broncos with 14 digs, while Logan Case recorded a double-double with 30 assists and 11 digs. Sammi Lobell had four digs and a team-high three blocks.

The Spartans took the first set 25-15. The teams opened the set battling to a 4-4 tie before the Spartans opened up a 9-5 lead. From there the Broncos never got within more than four points.

The second set was a tight contest to the finish. After a 4-4 tie the teams went back and forth taking the lead, with neither team leading by more than two. The Broncos battled from a two-point deficit to tie it up at 15-15 but after a kill by Biamba Kabengele the Spartans took the lead and never trailed after that. The Broncos brought it within one, 19-18, but the Spartans scored the next three points to open up a bigger lead and won 25-22.

WMU jumped out to a 7-2 lead to open up the third set, extending the lead to six points at 12-6. The lead reached eight when an ace by Boyle pushed the score to 17-9. Michigan state chipped away at Western Michigan's lead, getting within two at 23-21. A MSU block error gave the Broncos set point at 24-21, but the Spartans scored the next three points to tie it up at 24-24. WMU had set point three more times but MSU responded to each by tying up the game until taking a 29-28 lead. Andelyn Simkins squared the game at 29-29 with a kill, but Michigan State responded with two straight points to take the set and the match.

Western Michigan is back in action early on Saturday, taking on Wright State at 10 a.m. and then Canisius at 5 p.m.