KENT, Ohio – The Western Michigan volleyball team won its fifth consecutive match in straight sets on Thursday evening as it began its road trip with a 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-9) win at Kent State.
 
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Kent State 0
LOCATION: M.A.C Center (Kent, Ohio)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (15-2, 5-0 MAC) | Kent State (4-13, 0-6)
 
The Western Michigan offense had its most efficient night of the season thus far, as it hit a new season-best .421 against the Golden Flashes. The .421 mark was the highest single-match hitting percentage for the Broncos since hitting .443 in a 3-0 win at Northern Illinois on March 16, 2021.
 
Logan Case fueled the attack with 43 assists, setting up a trio of Broncos for double-digit kills. Anna Calcagno and Maggie King recorded 13 kills apiece, hitting .345 and .379, respectively, while Mary Clare Brusek hammered down 12 kills on 14 swings (.857 hitting percentage).
 
Defensively, Andelyn Simkins upped her streak of matches with double-digit digs to 12 in a row, as the senior libero led the way with 17. Reeghan Boyer made it three straight contests with double-figure digs as she notched 10, while Case recorded nine digs to come within one of her third double-double of the campaign.
 
Kent State got out to an early 8-4 advantage in the opening frame. With the score at 11-6, the Broncos rattled off five in a row to get back even at 11-11. The Golden Flashes responded with the next three points to regain the lead at 14-11. Trailing 19-16, Western Michigan put together a 7-1 rally to move ahead, 23-20. KSU tied things up at 23-23 and again at 24-24, but a service error and Keona Salesman kill gave the first set to the Brown & Gold, 26-24.
 
A 5-1 run helped Western Michigan build an 11-8 cushion in the second set. The Broncos kept their lead between two and four points for the rest of the frame, with a Salesman kill once again serving as the clinching point for WMU.
 
The Broncos roared out to an 11-1 start in the third set. Kent State pushed back with four of the next five to get within seven, 12-5. Eight of the ensuing nine points went the way of WMU, pushing the margin to 20-6 and putting the contest out of reach.
 
Western Michigan continues its road trip on Friday night as it visits Ohio. First serve between the Broncos and Bobcats is slated for 7 pm on ESPN+.