BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Western Michigan volleyball team erased a 2-0 deficit to force a decisive fifth, but ultimately lost in five (25-17, 25-18, 23-25, 16-25, 15-13) to Southeast Missouri State on Friday at the Indiana Invitational. In their second match of the day, the Broncos then fell to host Indiana 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-17) in the tournament finale.
 
FINAL SCORE (M1): SEMO 3, Western Michigan 2
LOCATION: Wilkinson Hall (Bloomington, Ind.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-4) | SEMO (2-3)
 
FINAL SCORE (M2): Indiana 3, Western Michigan 0
LOCATION: Wilkinson Hall (Bloomington, Ind.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-5) | Indiana (5-0)
 
At the conclusion of the tournament, Western Michigan libero Elana Erickson was named to the Indiana Invitational's All-Tournament Team. For the weekend, the sophomore totaled 44 digs (3.67/set) and went 50-for-52 (.962) in serve receive.
 
Against SEMO, Leah Richmond handed out 41 assists to set three different Broncos up for double-digit kills. Annalise Patchett led the way with 16, while Keely Culler and Mary Clare Brusek added 14 apiece. The 14 kills established a new career high for Culler. Molly Brown filled up the stats sheet with nine kills, seven digs and a career-high six service aces. The six aces were one shy of WMU's single-match record.
 
On the defensive side, Erickson and Richmond had 18 digs apiece, with Richmond's 18 digs setting a new career high and helping her register her third straight double-double. Reeghan Boyer and Carley Piercefield notched double-digit digs as well, totaling 15 and 14, respectively.
 
The first set went back and forth until Southeast Missouri State used a three-point spurt to gain a 16-12 edge. WMU whittled the margin down to 18-16, but the Redhawks went on a 7-1 run to close out the opening stanza.  
 
In the second, SEMO used an 8-1 surge to break an 8-8 tie and build a 16-9 lead. The margin grew as large as 10 for the Redhawks, and though WMU fought off four set points, it could not recover from the deficit and fell into a 2-0 hole.
 
Southeast Missouri State got out to a fast start in the third, racing out to a 10-3 lead. At 16-9, Western Michigan put together a 10-2 surge to climb in front, 19-18. SEMO responded by going back ahead, 23-22, but Brusek tied it up with a kill and the Broncos took advantage of a pair of miscues to extend the match into a fourth frame.
 
WMU notched eight consecutive points as part of a 10-1 stretch in the fourth to build a 14-7 cushion. With the margin at five, 16-11, the Broncos tallied another four in a row to boost their advantage to 20-11, and led by no fewer than eight the rest of the set, sending the contest to a decisive fifth frame.
 
The Broncos picked up three straight points in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead. Southeast Missouri State answered with three of its own to bring it level again, 8-8. The two teams traded points until 13-13, when the Redhawks tallied the final two points of the afternoon to take the set and the match.
 
In the nightcap, Richmond handed out 24 assists, with Brusek's six kills leading the WMU attack. Erickson led the defensive effort with 12 digs.
 
Indiana got out to a fast start, tallying nine of the night's first 12 points. At 14-8, the Hoosiers picked up six in a row to stretch the margin to 20-8 and put the first frame beyond reach.
 
WMU held a 6-5 edge early in the second, but a 6-1 IU run pushed the hosts in front, 11-7. After an Amanda Glanton kill cut the deficit back to three, the Hoosiers used an 11-1 surge to bolster their cushion and eventually take a 2-0 match lead.
 
A 4-0 run helped the Broncos erase an early deficit in the third and knot the frame up at 10-10. Holding a 15-14 edge, Indiana put together a 10-3 stretch to close out the contest.  
 
Western Michigan returns to University Arena on Monday for an in-state showdown against Michigan State, with first serve slated for 6 pm. For tickets to any WMU volleyball home match, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.