ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team started its 2023 road schedule with a victory, as it dispatched Michigan in straight sets (25-17, 25-21, 25-19) on Tuesday evening.
 
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Michigan 0
LOCATION: Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (4-0) | Michigan (1-2)
 
The win moves the Broncos to 4-0 on the season, making it the program's first 4-0 start since 2019. That season, Western Michigan opened the year 8-0.
 
Keona Salesman paced the Western Michigan attack with a match-high 11 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Maggie King chipped in nine kills, while Anna Calcagno added eight. Logan Case handed out a match-high 33 assists. Defensively, Andelyn Simkins led the way with 16 digs for the Broncos, while Calcagno registered 11.
 
Western Michigan got out to a quick start, as it notched 12 of the first 15 points of the evening. The Wolverines could not recover in the opening frame, as WMU led by seven or more throughout the remainder of the set.
 
The Broncos seized an early edge in the second set as well, tallying the first four points of the frame. Michigan got to within two on multiple occasions, but WMU responded with a pair of 3-0 runs to remain in front. With the margin at 22-16, the Wolverines tallied four consecutive points to shrink the gap to 22-20. Western Michigan countered with three of the next four points to claim a 2-0 match lead. The Broncos did not trail at any point throughout the first two sets.
 
The third set was tightly contested throughout, as it featured nine ties and four lead changes. Michigan crept out to a 16-14 advantage, but WMU promptly responded with five consecutive points to wrestle the lead back for good at 19-16. The five-point burst began an 11-3 match-sealing run, which clinched the sweep and the first win over a Big Ten opponent for the Broncos since defeating Indiana in 2021.
 
WMU is back on the road this weekend for the UIC Invitational in Chicago, Ill. The Broncos are set to play UAB and SIUE on Friday, and tournament host UIC on Saturday.