KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team came back after dropping the first set and facing a six-point deficit late in the fourth to earn a 3-1 victory (21-25, 25-17, 25-22, 27-25) over Akron on Thursday evening.  
 
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Akron 1
LOCATION: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (7-12, 4-2 MAC) | Akron (8-9, 1-5 MAC)
 
Western Michigan made it six straight matches to start conference play with double-digit blocks as it racked up a season-high 13, led by Leah Richmond's six rejections (3 solo, 3 assists). WMU's redshirt freshman setter filled up the stats sheet, registering her 10th consecutive double-double (43 assists, 13 digs) and tallying a career-high seven kills to go with her six blocks.
 
Molly Brown and Mary Clare Brusek paced the Broncos with 12 kills apiece, with each hitting above .300 for the night. Mia Jurkovic was also in double-figures with 10 kills. In addition to her kills, Brown aided the WMU scoring effort with a match-high five service aces and four blocks. Reeghan Boyer registered a team-leading 18 digs for the night, with Elana Erickson (13), Richmond (13) and Carley Piercefield (10) joining Boyer in double-figures.
 
With Akron holding a 6-4 edge in the first, Western Michigan reeled off six consecutive points to move ahead, 10-6. A short while later, the visitors tallied five in a row to regain the lead, 13-12. At 20-19, the Zips notched three straight points to begin a 5-2 run to close out the frame, 25-21.
 
A 7-2 stretch helped the Brown and Gold get out to a 12-6 advantage in the second. The Zips worked their way back to within four, 13-9, before WMU rattled off six of the next seven to increase its cushion to 19-10 and put the frame beyond reach.
 
The Broncos got out to a 12-8 start in the early stages of the third set. At 14-11, Akron tallied four consecutive points to briefly move ahead, 15-14. Western Michigan countered with seven of the next 10 to wrestle the lead back, 21-18. The Zips drew level at 21-21, but one final surge earned the Brown and Gold the third frame, 25-22.
 
In the fourth, Akron used an 8-2 run to build a 13-8 advantage. With the margin at 16-14, the visitors tallied four straight points to increase their lead to 20-14. The Broncos then kicked into another gear and embarked on a 10-2 surge to flip the script and make it 24-22. The Zips fought off three match points, but WMU eventually prevailed in the final stanza, 27-25, to complete the comeback and four-set victory.
 
The Broncos and Zips are back at it again on Friday for Western Michigan's annual Dig Pink match. First serve is once again set for 5 pm and all fans in attendance are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. For tickets to any WMU volleyball home match, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.