OMAHA, Neb. – Western Michigan senior middle blocker
Gabby Weihe tallied a career-high 19 kills on a blistering .531 hitting percentage to help the Broncos take down Omaha in five sets (25-14, 25-20, 19-25, 23-25, 15-12) on Thursday night.
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Omaha 2
LOCATION: Baxter Arena (Omaha, Neb.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (4-0) | Omaha (1-2)
Of Weihe's career-high 19 kills, 11 came in the final two frames. The senior also led Western Michigan in blocks with eight, tying her career high for the second consecutive contest.
Three Broncos recorded double-doubles, led by
Leah Richmond's 46 assists and 16 digs.
Annalise Patchett totaled 11 kills and a career-high 14 digs, while
Carley Piercefield notched a career-high 11 assists and 10 digs for her first collegiate double-double.
Izzy Swiercz put down a season-high 15 kills in the victory.
Western Michigan got on a roll early, tallying nine of the first 10 points of the evening. Omaha picked up three in a row to close the gap to 9-4, but the Brown and Gold countered with six of the next seven to stretch the lead into double-figures at 15-5. The Broncos led by no fewer than nine for the remainder of the frame, and hit .429 as a team on the way to taking the set, 25-14.
Holding a 6-5 edge in the second, WMU put together an 8-3 run to extend the margin to 14-8. The Mavericks responded with seven of the next eight to draw level, 15-15. The Broncos came right back with an 8-1 surge to get their lead to 23-16 and put the frame beyond reach.
The third set was tight throughout and featured 14 ties. All even at 19-19, Omaha ripped off six consecutive points to grab the set and extend the match to a fourth frame.
In the fourth, Western Michigan used a 5-1 run to break a 9-9 deadlock and open up a 14-10 advantage. With the gap again at four, 17-13, the Mavericks rattled off five in a row to move ahead, 18-17. The Broncos nudged back in front, 22-21, but Omaha countered with four of the next five to send the contest to a decisive fifth frame.
Holding a 6-5 edge in the fifth, Western Michigan ripped off five consecutive points, punctuated by a Weihe kill, to open up an 11-5 lead. The Mavericks used a four-point burst to work their way back to within two, 12-10, but back-to-back Weihe kills got the Brown and Gold to match point, and a few points later, an Omaha error sealed the victory for WMU.
Western Michigan continues play at the Omaha Tournament on Friday afternoon against Chicago State. First serve is slated for 3 pm.
