KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The top-seeded Western Michigan volleyball team takes aim at its seventh MAC Championship tournament title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament on Monday night as it hosts No. 6 seed Bowling Green at University Arena.
No. 1 WMU (29-2, 18-0 MAC) vs No. 6 Bowling Green (19-12, 11-7)
Monday, Nov. 20 | 6:30 pm |
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LAST TIME OUT
Western Michigan punched its ticket to Monday's championship match with a straight-set win over No. 5 Toledo on Sunday. Behind
Logan Case's 39 assists, WMU hit .417, with
Keona Salesman (15),
Anna Calcagno (12) and
Maggie King (11) all registering double-digit kills.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
As the regular season champion and No. 1 seed, Western Michigan is the host for the MAC Volleyball Championship for the first time since 2000. The Broncos have turned University Arena into a big home court advantage this season, having won all 13 of their home matches in 2023. Going back to last season, WMU has won 16 in a row at University Arena, its longest home winning streak since a 20-match run between the 2009-10 campaigns.
MAC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The Broncos have enjoyed a lot of success at the MAC Championship, compiling a 41-28 record and capturing six tournament titles. WMU has advanced to the championship match for the 12th time in program history. Western Michigan is 6-5 in the championship round, with its last win in 2014 against Miami. The Broncos are 2-1 against Bowling Green in the championship match, beating the Falcons in 1987 and 1989, and falling at BGSU in four sets in the 2020 championship, which was played in the Spring of 2021.
BRONCOS DOMINATE MAC AWARDS
Western Michigan dominated the MAC's specialty awards, led by
Logan Case becoming just the second player in league history to win both the Player and Setter of the Year awards in the same season. She is also the first three-time Setter of the Year winner.
Colleen Munson was named the Coach of the Year for the second time at the helm of the Broncos (2014) and
Andelyn Simkins earned the Defensive Player of the Year. WMU also had a league-high six All-MAC honorees, with Case, Simkins and
Maggie King earning spots on the First Team and
Mary Clare Brusek,
Anna Calcagno and
Keona Salesman landing on the Second Team.
MUNSON REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
With last night's victory, Western Michigan picked up its 29th win of the season, the most in head coach
Colleen Munson's tenure. It is the most victories for the Broncos since a 32-win campaign in 1983. A victory tonight would also make WMU just the second team in NCAA DI to reach the 30-win mark this season, joining Dayton (31).
LOGAN LEADS THE WAY
Entering Monday,
Logan Case leads NCAA Division I in total assists (1,297) and is second in assists/set (12.01). As a team, Western Michigan is third nationally in both assists/set (13.62) and kills/set (14.51), and 26th in hitting percentage (.273).
PERFECTION ACHIEVED
WMU achieved a perfect 18-0 record in MAC play, making the Broncos the first team since Ohio in 2006 to go unbeaten in league play and the first since Ball State in 1993 to go 18-0. It is the seventh time in program history Western Michigan has gone undefeated in conference matches, as it went unbeaten for six straight years in league contests from 1983-88. The 1983, 1984 and 1985 seasons all saw the Broncos go 18-0 in the conference.
