KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan senior Mary Clare Brusek put down a career-high 23 kills to help the Broncos come from behind for a second straight day to defeat Bowling Green in five sets (23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-12, 15-8).   
 
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Bowling Green 2
LOCATION: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (11-13, 8-3 MAC) | Bowling Green (12-11, 6-5 MAC)
 
Brusek's career-high 23 kills came on a blistering .526 hitting percentage. It marked the 11th straight double-digit kill performance for the WMU senior.
 
Leah Richmond posted her 18th double-double of the season and became the first Bronco to have a 20/20 match in 2025 as she tallied 49 assists and a career-high 22 digs. Joining Brusek in double-figures was Annalise Patchett, who put down 14 kills while hitting .323.
 
Defensively, Western Michigan notched 12 blocks, buoyed by Amanda Glanton's team-leading eight rejections (2 solo, 6 assists). Reeghan Boyer registered 17 digs for the second straight contest.
 
A four-point run helped WMU get out to a 10-6 advantage in the opening stanza. Bowling Green countered with eight of the next 10 to move ahead, 14-12. With BG's edge sitting at 16-15, the visitors then tallied four straight points to extend the margin to 20-15. The Broncos fended off a pair of set points to get to within one, 24-23, but BGSU grabbed the next point to claim the set.
 
Western Michigan got off to a strong start in the second, building an early 12-5 cushion. The Falcons eventually whittled the margin down to 20-17, but the Brown and Gold responded with a 5-2 run to close out the frame and even the contest at one set apiece.
 
The Broncos started fast in the third frame as well, rolling out to a 9-3 advantage. At 10-4, Bowling Green tallied four consecutive points to trim the gap to 10-8. WMU built its cushion back to four on a couple of occasions, including at 20-16. The Falcons then roared back with four straight points to ignite a 9-1 surge which gave the visitors the set, 25-21.
 
In the fourth, Western Michigan used a 10-3 run to break a 4-4 deadlock and open up a 14-7 lead. At 16-9, the Broncos reeled off another six straight points to stretch the margin to 22-9, putting the frame beyond reach and sending the two teams to a decisive fifth for the second consecutive day.  
 
A three-point burst helped WMU grab a 6-3 edge in the final stanza. With the gap at 7-5, Western Michigan tallied another three consecutive points to jump-start an 8-3 run which sealed the victory.  
 
The Broncos conclude their three-match homestand on Tuesday evening as they welcome Northern Illinois to University Arena for a 6 pm contest. For tickets to any WMU volleyball home match, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.