LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Western Michigan setter
Leah Richmond collected her fifth double-double, but the Broncos dropped the opener of the LMU Invitational to the tournament hosts, 3-1 (18-25, 25-14, 25-19, 25-18), on Thursday evening.
FINAL SCORE: LMU 3, Western Michigan 1
LOCATION: Gersten Pavilion (Los Angeles, Calif.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-7) | LMU (1-4)
Richmond handed out 27 assists and registered 11 digs for the evening to mark the fifth double-double in the first eight matches of her collegiate career. The redshirt freshman helped set up
Keely Culler for a team-leading 13 kills on a .289 hitting percentage, while
Molly Brown had 11 kills and hit .400.
Ella Guilfoy added to WMU's point totals with a career-high three service aces.
Elana Erickson once again paced the Brown and Gold in digs, racking up 17. Guilfoy joined Erickson and Richmond in double-figures, matching her career high with 11 digs. Brown led the defensive effort up front with four blocks.
Western Michigan held a slim lead, 12-10, in the first set before a 4-1 spurt upped the margin to 16-11. A 5-1 run then helped the Broncos increase their cushion to 23-15, and they held on from there to take the opening frame, 25-18. WMU hit .520 in the first set, putting down 14 kills with just one error.
LMU flipped the script in the second. Holding a 7-6 edge, the Lions put together a 9-1 surge to open up a 16-7 lead, and never looked back, evening the contest at 1-1.
The hosts carried their momentum into the third, picking up seven of the frame's first eight points. Western Michigan stayed within striking distance, and at 19-14, used a 5-1 run to get all the way back to within one, 20-19. The Lions countered with the next five points to close out the set for a 2-1 match lead.
LMU started the fourth frame fast as well, grabbing six of the first seven points. The Broncos fought right back, drawing level at 10-10. Holding a one-point edge, 15-14, the Lions notched four consecutive points to increase their advantage to 19-14. After back-to-back WMU points, the hosts tallied another three in a row to make it a six-point spread, 22-16, and put the contest beyond reach.
Western Michigan continues play at the LMU Invitational on Friday as it battles #16 USC. First serve between the Broncos and Trojans is slated for 6:30 pm.
