OMAHA, Neb. – The Western Michigan volleyball team picked up a tournament win for the second straight weekend, knocking off Louisiana Tech in four sets (21-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-15) on Saturday to capture the Omaha Tournament title. With the victory, the Broncos moved to 6-0, marking their best start since beginning their historic 2023 season with seven straight wins.
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 3, Louisiana Tech 1
LOCATION: Baxter Arena (Omaha, Neb.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (6-0) | Louisiana Tech (3-3)
Western Michigan hit .283 as a team for the afternoon, fueled by 56 assists from
Leah Richmond. The redshirt sophomore set up three teammates for double-digit kills, led by
Annalise Patchett's 17. Joining Patchett in double-figures were
Gabby Weihe, who tallied 15 kills on a .481 hitting percentage, and
Cassidy Pratley, who put down a career-high 10 kills while hitting .348.
Four Broncos recorded double-digit digs for the afternoon, with
Elana Erickson's 17 leading the way. Patchett (14) and Richmond (11) were also in double-figures to each record their second double-double of the weekend, and
Ella Askin registered 10 digs to go with eight kills for the Brown and Gold in just her second collegiate match. Pratley led the front line for Western Michigan with a career-high seven blocks.
Louisiana Tech was in front in the first set until WMU used a five-point run to erase the early deficit and climb into a 13-12 lead. With the Broncos up 18-17, the Bulldogs ran off four consecutive points to regain an advantage they did not relinquish on the way to taking the opening stanza.
In the second, five consecutive points sparked a 7-1 run which helped Western Michigan dig out of an early hole and grab a 14-11 edge. The Bulldogs countered with three in a row to get back level at 14-14. Tied again at 15-15, the Brown and Gold reeled off eight of the next 10 to seize control, 23-17, and from there evened the contest at one set apiece.
Another 8-2 burst broke an 8-8 tie and gave the Broncos a 16-10 advantage in the third set. Louisiana Tech got as close as four, 22-18, but a kill by Weihe halted the run, and a few points later, a Patchett kill sealed the frame for Western Michigan.
Four consecutive points helped the Brown and Gold get out to an 8-4 lead in the fourth. At 11-8, WMU tallied another three straight points to spark a 13-2 surge which put the set and the contest beyond reach.
Western Michigan continues its stretch of road matches on Tuesday with an in-state battle against Michigan State. First serve is set for 6 pm on
B1G+.
