INDIANAPOLIS – The Western Michigan volleyball team hit a season-best .349 on its way to a 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-15) win at Butler in the final match of the Bulldog Brawl in Indianapolis on Saturday evening.
 
Maggie King paced the WMU attack with a match-high 16 kills on a .419 hitting percentage. Madison Merz, Andelyn Simkins and Meredith Phillips all tallied nine kills apiece. Following the contest, King and Phillips were both selected to the Bulldog Brawl All-Tournament Team.
 
Logan Case posted match highs in both assists (36) and digs (19) to collect her team-leading sixth double-double of the campaign. Mairead Boyle also chipped in 16 digs for the Broncos.
 
Western Michigan got off to a fast start, tallying the first five points of the evening. Butler closed the gap to 7-3, but a 7-1 surge helped the Broncos extend the margin to 14-4. The Bulldogs drew no closer than eight for the remainder of the frame, as WMU rode a .500 hitting percentage to a comfortable 25-13 first-set victory.
 
With the second set tied at 9-9, the Bulldogs tallied five straight points to build a 14-9 lead. Western slowly chipped away at the deficit, and eventually notched three straight points to draw even again at 19-19. Trailing 23-22, the Broncos took advantage of a pair of Butler errors to reach set point, then clinched a 2-0 edge in the contest on a kill by Merz.
 
WMU seized a 4-1 edge early in the third set, but were quickly pegged back, as Butler tied the frame up at 5-5. Three in a row from the Broncos helped the visitors move back in front, 9-6, and a 4-1 spurt later helped stretch the lead out to 14-9. Ahead 16-11, Western used a 5-1 run to expand the margin out to 21-12 and put the set out of reach.
 
The Broncos begin Mid-American Conference play on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 23-24, as they travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., to take on Eastern Michigan. First serve for Thursday's series opener is set for 6 pm.