KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan volleyball team hits the road for the first time in 2025 this week as it heads down to Bloomington, Ind., for three matches in two days at the Indiana Invitational.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Match One: Thursday, Sept. 4 | 4 pm | WMU vs. Northern Kentucky |
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Match Two: Friday, Sept. 5 | 1 pm | WMU vs. SEMO |
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Match Three: Friday, Sept. 5 | 7 pm | WMU at Indiana |
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FOLLOW ALONG: @WMUVolleyball
THE FIRST SERVE
Western Michigan hits the road for the first time in 2025 this week as it heads down to Bloomington, Ind., for the Indiana Invitational. The Broncos open up tournament play on Thursday against Northern Kentucky, and then in their lone doubleheader of the season on Friday face Southeast Missouri State and tournament host Indiana.
LAST TIME OUT
The Brown and Gold opened up their 2025 campaign last weekend by going 1-2 at their annual home tournament. Western Michigan got its season started with a four-set win over Oakland on Friday, before falling to Illinois State on Saturday and DePaul on Sunday. WMU libero
Elana Erickson was named to the All-Tournament Team after racking up 63 digs (5.73/set) for the weekend.
THE OPPONENTS
WMU opens this week's tournament against Northern Kentucky, which went 1-2 during opening weekend. The Broncos and Norse have met just twice prior to this week, with the last meeting a five-set victory for WMU back in 2019. The preseason favorites in the Ohio Valley Conference, Southeast Missouri State also enters the tournament with a 1-2 mark. Western Michigan is 3-1 all-time against SEMO, with the Redhawks winning the most recent meeting in 2022. Indiana picked up a pair of victories to start its season, beating Miami (FL) and VCU. The Broncos own an 8-6 all-time mark against the Hoosiers, with the last meeting a five-set win for WMU in Kalamazoo back in 2021. Western Michigan has won each of its last two road matches at IU, in 2005 and 2009.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Western Michigan's
Elana Erickson and
Leah Richmond earned weekly honors from the MAC for the first weekend of the season. Erickson claimed Defensive Player of the Week honors after totaling 63 digs (5.73/set) and going 27-for-27 in serve receive. Her 5.73 digs per set lead the conference and rank 13th in NCAA DI. Richmond was named the MAC Setter of the Week after averaging 11.18 assists and 2.64 digs per set on the way to recording double-doubles in two of her first three collegiate matches. The redshirt freshman's 11.18 assists per set are atop the MAC and rank 13th nationally.
POWERFUL PATCHETT
Annalise Patchett led WMU in kills in two of last weekend's three matches, totaling 41 for an average of 3.73/set (9th MAC). The sophomore hit a blistering .429 to tally a career-high 20 kills in the season-opening win over Oakland on Friday and led the Broncos with 15 on Sunday against DePaul.
