KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team opens up the 2024 season this weekend as it welcomes LMU, Loyola Chicago and Clemson to University Arena for its annual non-conference tournament.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 30
Loyola Chicago vs. Clemson - 3 pm
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Western Michigan vs LMU - 6 pm
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Saturday, Aug. 31
LMU vs. Clemson - 3 pm
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Western Michigan vs Loyola Chicago - 6 pm
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Sunday, Sept. 1
LMU vs. Loyola Chicago - 11 am
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Western Michigan vs Clemson - 2 pm
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FOLLOW ALONG: @WMUVolleyball
THE FIRST SERVE
Western Michigan begins its 2024 season by hosting its annual non-conference tournament this weekend at University Arena. This season, the Broncos welcome LMU, Loyola Chicago and Clemson to Kalamazoo for the three-day event.
THE OPPONENTS
LMU posted a 20-6 record in 2023 and had three players named to the WCC's Preseason Team. The Lions won the only prior meeting with WMU back in 1984. Loyola Chicago went 19-12 last season, including a 16-2 mark in the Atlantic-10. The Ramblers are once again picked to place second within their league behind reigning league champion Dayton. Western Michigan leads the all-time series with LUC 6-2. Clemson collected 19 wins a season ago on the way to the third round of the NIVC. Sunday's tilt marks the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and the Broncos.
PRESEASON FAVORITES
After going 31-3, including a perfect 18-0 in league play, and winning both the MAC regular season and tournament titles in 2023, Western Michigan was unanimously voted by the other 11 coaches in the league to repeat as champions in the 2024 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll. WMU also received nine votes from around the league to repeat as conference tournament champions.
ALL-CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
Western Michigan returns five of its six All-MAC honorees from a season ago, with four of those five named to the Preseason All-MAC Team.
Logan Case was picked to the Preseason All-MAC Team for the fourth straight year, and was joined by reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year
Andelyn Simkins, as well as returning All-MAC Second Team honorees
Anna Calcagno and
Keona Salesman.
SETTING THE TABLE
The reigning MAC Player and Setter of the Year,
Logan Case enters the 2024 campaign already holding WMU's record for career assists. The fifth-year setter led NCAA DI in total assists a season ago (1,421) and was second nationally in assists per set at 11.94. She enters this season ranked seventh in MAC history with 5,097 career helpers.
HOME SWEET HOME
Western Michigan went a perfect 14-0 at University Arena in 2023 and has won 17 in a row on its home court dating back to 2022. WMU's last loss on its home court was a four-set defeat at the hands of Toledo on October 15, 2022. It is the longest such streak for the Broncos since they won 20 straight home contests during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. WMU's program record for home wins was a 22-match run which spanned from the end of the 1999 campaign into the 2001 season.
