KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After dropping the first two sets on Friday night, the Western Michigan volleyball team came all the way back to earn a reverse sweep over Bowling Green (23-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-17, 15-6).  
 
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Bowling Green 2
LOCATION: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (10-13, 7-3 MAC) | Bowling Green (12-10, 6-4 MAC)
 
The Western Michigan rally was keyed by its defense and its serving. The Brown and Gold collected a season-high 16 blocks, with 13 of them coming in the final three frames. Amanda Glanton led the charge up front with eight blocks, while Mary Clare Brusek added six and Mia Jurkovic had five.
 
At the service line, WMU notched eight of its season-high 12 aces over the final three sets, including six in the third set alone. Reeghan Boyer and Carley Piercefield served up four aces apiece, with Maddie Kmetz notching three. Piercefield and Kmetz's ace numbers both established new career highs.
 
Leah Richmond just missed out on a double-double, tallying 45 assists and collecting nine digs. Brusek was the chief beneficiary of Richmond's setting, as she put down a team-leading 15 kills. Boyer (17), Piercefield (11) and Elana Erickson (10) all posted double-digit digs for the Broncos.
 
The first set was close throughout and featured 10 ties, with neither team leading by more than three at any point. A 15-13 Western Michigan advantage was erased by a 4-1 spurt which put BGSU on top, 17-16. After the Broncos tallied the next two points to briefly regain the edge, 18-17, the visitors countered with the next three to wrestle the lead back, 20-18. Bowling Green stretched the margin to 24-21, and after WMU fended off a pair of set points, the Falcons claimed the frame, 25-23.
 
A four-point run helped the Broncos grab a 10-8 edge in the second set. Bowling Green responded by notching the next five points to move back in front, 13-10. Western Michigan fought back to draw level at 15-15. Even again at 16-16, the Falcons tallied three in a row to take a 19-16 lead. WMU worked its way back to within one at 20-19, but BGSU rolled off the next five points to take a 2-0 match advantage into the break.
 
Western Michigan ripped off the first four points to open up the third stanza. With the margin at 11-7, the Falcons ran off five consecutive points to move ahead, 12-11. The Broncos answered with an 8-3 run to go back on top, 19-15. BG got as close as three, 20-17, but WMU then rattled off five straight points to close out the frame and keep the match going into a fourth.
 
The Broncos kept the momentum rolling into the fourth, picking up eight of the first 11 points to build a five-point cushion. A pair of three-point bursts helped Western Michigan's lead climb as high as nine, 21-12, and the Falcons could get no closer than six the rest of the way.
 
WMU started the fifth frame hot as well, roaring out to an 8-2 start. At 10-4, the Brown and Gold notched another three in a row to stretch the margin to 13-4, effectively putting the match away and sealing the team's first reverse-sweep victory of the season.   
 
The Broncos and Falcons meet again at University Arena on Saturday at 4 pm. For tickets to any WMU volleyball home match, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.