MUNCIE, Ind. – Logan Case recorded her team leading 10th double-double (44 assists, 13 digs) of the season on Saturday, but Western Michigan fell in four sets (25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20) to Ball State for the second consecutive day at Worthen Arena.
FINAL SCORE: Ball State 3, Western Michigan 1
LOCATION: Worthen Arena (Muncie, Ind.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (13-10, 5-6 MAC) | Ball State (17-6, 9-2 MAC)
Case registered a double-double for the fourth time in WMU's last five contests. The junior has now handed out 30 or more assists in 36 consecutive matches for the Broncos.
Maggie King and
Abi Wilcoxson tallied 14 kills apiece to lead the Western Michigan attack. It was the sixth straight match in double-figures for King.
Amanda Glanton added a career-high 11 kills on a .500 hitting percentage.
Defensively,
Andelyn Simkins racked up 24 digs, her fifth 20+ dig performance of the campaign. King added nine to fall just short of her fifth straight double-double, while
Reeghan Boyer and
Mairead Boyle chipped in eight digs apiece.
Four straight points helped Ball State get out to a 13-7 advantage in the first frame. At 21-14, Western Michigan put together a 5-1 stretch to trim the margin to 22-19, but BSU tallied three of the next four points to claim the first set.
The second set was tight most of the way, until five consecutive points put Ball State ahead, 21-15. The run sparked an extended 9-3 surge which helped the Cardinals take a 2-0 match lead into the break.
In the third frame, Western Michigan used a five-point burst of its own to ignite an 8-1 run which turned a 15-14 deficit into a 22-16 advantage. The next five points all went to the Cardinals, cutting WMU's lead to 22-21. The Broncos answered, as Glanton tallied a kill and Simkins served up an ace to help Western Michigan extend the match into a fourth set.
Six of the first eight points of the fourth set went to WMU. With the Broncos in front 16-14, Ball State used an 8-1 surge to seize a 22-17 lead. Western Michigan answered back with three in a row to get to within two, 22-20, but the Cardinals sealed the victory with the final three points of the evening.
Western Michigan continues its road trip next Friday night as it travels down to Athens to take on Ohio. First serve between the Broncos and Bobcats is set for 7 pm.
