KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Annalise Patchett put down a match-high 20 kills and Leah Richmond recorded a double-double (49 assists, 14 digs) to lift the Western Michigan volleyball team to a 3-1 victory (24-26, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20) over Oakland to open the 2025 season on Friday night.
 
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Oakland 1
LOCATION: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-0) | Oakland (0-1)
 
Patchett was one of four Broncos to notch double-digit kills, tallying her career-high 20 on a blistering .429 hitting percentage. After redshirting as a true freshman a season ago, Richmond's 49 assists and 14 digs came in her collegiate debut. In addition to Patchett, Richmond's distribution helped set up Molly Brown (13), Keely Culler (11) and Mary Clare Brusek (10) for double-digit kills.
 
In her debut as Western Michigan's libero, Elana Erickson keyed the squad's defensive effort with a career-high 33 digs. Richmond and Carley Piercefield chipped in 14 digs apiece, while Reeghan Boyer added nine. To go with her career-high 13 kills, Brown added a match-high six blocks in her WMU debut.
 
With the opening frame all even at 11-11, Western Michigan rattled off five consecutive points to grab a 16-11 edge. Oakland worked its way back to within one at 17-16, but the Broncos countered with the next three to extend the margin back to four, 20-16. The Brown and Gold reached set point at 24-21, before the Golden Grizzlies roared back and eked out the first frame, 26-24.  
 
Holding a 9-7 edge early in the second, WMU used a four-point spurt to increase its advantage to 13-7. With the margin at 18-13, OU rattled off five of the next six to close to within one, 19-18. After a three-point Western Michigan response, the Golden Grizzlies again closed the gap to a single point, 23-22. A clutch kill from the true freshman Culler and an Oakland error gave the home team the set and evened the contest at 1-1.
 
Western Michigan came out hot after the break, tallying seven of the first nine points to seize an early advantage in the third. At 8-5, the hosts rattled off seven consecutive points to boost the cushion to 15-5. The lead climbed as high as 12 in the stanza on the way to a 25-16 set victory and 2-1 match advantage for WMU.
 
The Broncos again got out to an early edge in the fourth, using a pair of three-point spurts to move out in front, 11-6. In the middle of the frame, a 6-2 stretch helped the Broncos extend their cushion to 19-11. Oakland fought off a pair of match points to get as close as four, before Brown and Richmond combined at the net for a match-sealing block.
 
The 2025 Western Michigan Volleyball Tournament continues on Saturday at University Arena, with the Broncos set to take on Illinois State at 6 pm. For tickets to any home WMU volleyball match, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.