KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team opened the Discover Kalamazoo Classic with two thrilling five-set victories over Southeast Missouri State and Indiana at University Arena on Friday.
The Broncos opened their tournament with a 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-17, 15-12) win over SEMO in the morning game. Four different Broncos finished with double-digit kills led by junior outside hitter Maggie King's 20. King also had 10 digs for a double-double, while Andelyn Simkins had 17 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore setter Logan Case nearly matched her career in assists of 59, recording 57 to go along with 10 digs. Abi Wilcoxson finished with 15 kills, while Madison Merz had 10.
After falling in the first set the Broncos rebounded in the second to tie it up at 1-1. The teams went back and forth until it was deadlocked at 10-10. The Broncos went on two small runs to build a 16-13 lead and then expanded it to 20-14 on a kill by Kennedy Hogan. A SEMO serve error and an error pushed the lead to 22-15. The Redhawks got within five after a Bronco attack error, 24-19 but Simkins closed out the set with a kill.
After SEMO took the third set to take a 2-1 lead, WMU took control of the fourth set early, building a 10-6 lead before expanding it to an eventual 20-10 lead on a block by Merz. The Redhawks would only get within seven before the Broncos pushed the lead back to eight and a kill by Wilcoxsin closed it out, 25-17.
In its first fifth set of the season Western Michigan jumped out to a 4-1 lead thanks to a pair of kills by Wilcoxsin, a kill by Simkins and an error on the Redhawks. Southeast Missouri State quickly shut the gap and took a 9-7 lead. The Broncos tied it up at 10-10 on a kill by Hogan and then took the lead on a kill by Simkins. The teams traded points to a 12-12 tie but an error by Logan Case gave WMU a 13-12 lead. A kill by Simkins, an attack error by Zoey Beasley and another kill by Simkins finished off the set and the match for the Broncos.
Western Michigan did not get off to a slow start in its 3-2 (25-12, 20-25, 26-24, 11-25, 15-11) win over Indiana. King led the Broncos with 16 kills, while Simkins had 13 to go along with 14 for another double-double. Case had 44 assists and four key kills on the night.
WMU exploded out of the gate to take an early 8-1 lead. Four of WMU's first eight points came in the form of service aces with two from King and two from Mairead Boyle. The Hoosiers earned back-to-back points in the set only twice as the Broncos cruised to a 25-12 win to take a 1-0 lead.
IU pegged one back but the Broncos pushed ahead 2-1 in the third set in a tight 26-24 win. Indiana built a 13-8 lead but WMU chipped away at it, tying it up at 14-14 on a kill by Phillips and then took a lead on a block by Merz. Indiana and Western Michigan traded runs to a 19-19 tie before the Hoosiers took a 22-20 lead. A kill by Phillips and an ace by King tied it up at 23-23. The teams traded points to 24-24 before Simkins and Phillips finished off the set with back-to-back kills.
Indiana dominated the fourth set with a 25-11 win.
In the second fifth set of the day the Broncos built an early 4-1 lead and advanced it to 9-3. Indiana was able to chip away at it and get within two at 13-11 after an ace. Phillips pushed WMU ahead 14-11 and an attack error by May Saris was originally called a kill but overturned after a Western Michigan challenge to end the match.
The Broncos are back in action on Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Purdue Fort Wayne. The game can be watched live at www.wmubroncos.com/watch.
