KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team begins Mid-American Conference play this weekend as it welcomes Buffalo to University Arena for a two-match series.
WMU (4-7, 0-0 MAC) vs Buffalo (4-9, 0-0 MAC)
Match One: Friday, Sept. 27 | 6 pm |
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Match Two: Saturday, Sept. 28 | 3 pm |
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WELCOME TO MACTION
Western Michigan begins its MAC title defense this weekend as it welcomes Buffalo to town for a two-match series. The reigning regular season and tournament champions, the Broncos were unanimously picked by the league's 11 other coaches to repeat as regular season champs, while nine picked them to once again win the MAC Tournament. WMU has won 12 straight home conference matches and 19 of its last 20 at home overall. It has also won five consecutive conference openers.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a pair of four-set losses at the hands of #15 Tennessee last week, including a battle on Thursday which saw three of the four sets go to extra points.
Keona Salesman paced the WMU attack with 22 kills for the weekend, while
Logan Case handed out 83 assists.
SETTING THE STANDARD
Logan Case leads the MAC and is third in NCAA Division I at 11.41 assists/set. The fifth-year setter has WMU at the top of the league in both assists/set (13.12, 17th in NCAA DI) and kills/set (13.90, 21st). The NCAA's active leader in career assists, Case is currently fifth in conference history with 5,565, and needs 55 to move into fourth all-time.
KILLER KEONA
Fifth-year outside hitter
Keona Salesman has tallied double-digit kills in all 11 matches so far this season for the Broncos. The Coldwater, Mich., native enters the weekend as the Mid-American Conference's leader at 3.78 kills/set.
DIGGING IN DEFENSIVELY
Andelyn Simkins continues to anchor a Western Michigan defense which leads the conference and ranks 10th nationally at 17.41 digs/set. Individually, Simkins is averaging 5.10 digs/set, the second-highest mark in the MAC and ninth-best in the nation. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has posted double-digit digs in 40 consecutive matches going back to last season.
BREAKING DOWN THE BULLS
Like Western Michigan, Buffalo put together a challenging non-conference slate and has faced three top-25 foes thus far, including a loss at #16 Florida in its last match on Sept. 22. UB setter Mandy Leigh ranks third in the MAC with 7.93 assists/set and has set her sister, Abby, up for a .401 hitting percentage, the second-best mark in the conference. WMU is 28-5 all-time against the Bulls, including a four-set victory last year in Kalamazoo which was its fourth consecutive win in the series.
