KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After dropping the first set, the Western Michigan volleyball team bounced back to win the next three to earn a 3-1 victory (28-30, 25-22, 25-15, 25-22) over LMU on Friday night at University Arena to begin the 2024 season. The win, which featured a pair of teams receiving votes in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Preseason Poll, was the 18th consecutive home victory for the Broncos.
 
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, LMU 1
LOCATION: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-0) | LMU (0-1)
 
Fueled by a match-high 41 assists from Logan Case, the WMU attack hit .250 for the evening, and posted a .318 mark over the night's final three frames. Julia Marr paced the Brown and Gold with 16 kills on a .316 hitting percentage, while Keona Salesman was also in double-figures with 12 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Madison Merz (.583) and Mary Clare Brusek (.400) contributed eight kills apiece.
 
Defensively, Andelyn Simkins led the way for the Broncos with 14 digs, while Reeghan Boyer chipped in with 10. Case collected eight digs to come up just shy of a double-double, and Carley Piercefield registered seven digs in her collegiate debut.
 
After WMU tallied the first three points of the night, LMU used an 8-2 surge to open up an 8-5 edge in the opening frame. The Broncos responded, and drew back level at 11-11. Neither team led by more than two points for the remainder of the set, and the two went back and forth until the Lions eventually came out on top, 30-28.
 
Western Michigan took an early 7-3 edge in the second set, but seven of the next eight put LMU ahead, 10-8. The Broncos then notched three straight points twice as part of an 11-4 extended run to go back on top, 19-14. The visitors got as close as 23-21 before kills by Brusek and Marr helped WMU close it out to even the match at one apiece heading into the break.
 
With the third set tied at 8-8, the Broncos rattled off five in a row to open up a 13-8 cushion. After back-to-back points by the Lions, WMU ripped off another four consecutive points to extend the margin to 17-10. With the score 19-14, Western Michigan put the frame away, tallying six of the final seven to take it 25-15, and move ahead 2-1 in the contest. The Brown and Gold hit a blistering .381 in the third frame.
 
LMU used a 7-2 run to wipe out a Western Michigan advantage and take a 10-9 lead in the early stages of the fourth set. Like the first, the fourth was back and forth throughout, with neither team able to move ahead by more than two again until the very end. At 21-21, a clutch Anna Calcagno kill and a Lions' error gave the Broncos a 23-21 cushion. The Lions tallied the next point, but Case responded with a nifty no-look flip over the net to bring the contest to match point. On the next point, Marr hammered down the decisive kill to give the Brown and Gold a season-opening victory for the third straight year.
 
The 2024 Western Michigan Volleyball Tournament continues on Saturday at University Arena, with the Broncos set to take on Loyola Chicago at 6 pm. For tickets to any home WMU volleyball match, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.