Courtesy: Dennis Snyder
Broncos Close Out Eagles in Shutout Win
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Jessica Brown posted a match-high 15 kills, Lena Oliver and Caroline Rose each recorded 18 digs, and the Western Michigan volleyball team recorded its second sweep in as many days with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-23) win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday. With the win, the Broncos improve to 16-9 overall, 9-3 in the Mid-American Conference.
Brown was an offensive dynamo for the Broncos, pounding home 15 kills against the Eagles; she recorded just two errors on her 27 swings for a .481 hitting percentage. Stephenee Yancy and Richelle Ranney each recorded nine kills, with Yancy hitting a team-best .529, and the Bronco offense hummed to the tune of a .287 team hitting percentage.
Defensively, Rose and Oliver were part of an effort that out-dug the Eagles 68-59 and held them to just a .102 hitting percentage on the evening. The Broncos recorded 7.0 team blocks as well, compared to just 5.0 team blocks for the Eagles.
The first set was fairly nip and tuck early on, but the Broncos pulled away thanks to a diversified offensive attack. After a pair of Eagle attack errors gave WMU a 7-5 lead, Terin Norris notched a tip kill; on the next play, she found Yancy on a quick set to extend the lead to four points. The duo teamed for a block on the very next point to complete a 5-0 run that made the score 10-5 and broke the set wide open.
Eastern Michigan would come back to tie the set at 17-17 with a run of their own, but Richelle Ranney recorded a kill to halt their momentum. Gillian Asque had a kill of her own two points later to force an EMU timeout, and the Broncos would soon reach set point when Yancy bounced a kill down the middle. Asque and Brown would go up on the right side to notch the set-winning block, closing it out 25-19 to take the set.
The Broncos kept the heat on in the second set, opening up on a dominant stretch and never giving EMU a chance to get into the set. WMU started the set on a 6-2 run that was capped by Norri's kill, and the lead continued to swell as the Broncos forced error after error. Kaycee Acree recorded a service ace to make it 13-6, and an EMU attack error would push the lead to double digits at 18-8. Ranney notched kill to make the score 21-8 and force an Eagle timeout, and Yancy would force set point with another kill to make it 24-13. An Eastern Michigan ball handling error would seal the deal and give the Broncos a two-set lead.
EMU would jump out to a lead and hold it for a good portion of the third set, but the resilient Broncos came back to steal the set and send the Eagles packing. Trailing 18-15 at one point, a pair of EMU errors would pull the Broncos back into contention, and one point later, Ali Gossen and Stephenee Yancy stuffed Rachel Iaquaniello's attack attempt to tie the set at 18-18. The Broncos took their first lead of the set when Gossen recorded a kill on the next point, but the teams would trade points until reached a tied score at 23. EMU's Megan Crawshaw committed an attack error to give the Broncos match point, and Ranney did the rest with a kill to make it 25-23.
Brown was an offensive dynamo for the Broncos, pounding home 15 kills against the Eagles; she recorded just two errors on her 27 swings for a .481 hitting percentage. Stephenee Yancy and Richelle Ranney each recorded nine kills, with Yancy hitting a team-best .529, and the Bronco offense hummed to the tune of a .287 team hitting percentage.
Defensively, Rose and Oliver were part of an effort that out-dug the Eagles 68-59 and held them to just a .102 hitting percentage on the evening. The Broncos recorded 7.0 team blocks as well, compared to just 5.0 team blocks for the Eagles.
The first set was fairly nip and tuck early on, but the Broncos pulled away thanks to a diversified offensive attack. After a pair of Eagle attack errors gave WMU a 7-5 lead, Terin Norris notched a tip kill; on the next play, she found Yancy on a quick set to extend the lead to four points. The duo teamed for a block on the very next point to complete a 5-0 run that made the score 10-5 and broke the set wide open.
Eastern Michigan would come back to tie the set at 17-17 with a run of their own, but Richelle Ranney recorded a kill to halt their momentum. Gillian Asque had a kill of her own two points later to force an EMU timeout, and the Broncos would soon reach set point when Yancy bounced a kill down the middle. Asque and Brown would go up on the right side to notch the set-winning block, closing it out 25-19 to take the set.
The Broncos kept the heat on in the second set, opening up on a dominant stretch and never giving EMU a chance to get into the set. WMU started the set on a 6-2 run that was capped by Norri's kill, and the lead continued to swell as the Broncos forced error after error. Kaycee Acree recorded a service ace to make it 13-6, and an EMU attack error would push the lead to double digits at 18-8. Ranney notched kill to make the score 21-8 and force an Eagle timeout, and Yancy would force set point with another kill to make it 24-13. An Eastern Michigan ball handling error would seal the deal and give the Broncos a two-set lead.
EMU would jump out to a lead and hold it for a good portion of the third set, but the resilient Broncos came back to steal the set and send the Eagles packing. Trailing 18-15 at one point, a pair of EMU errors would pull the Broncos back into contention, and one point later, Ali Gossen and Stephenee Yancy stuffed Rachel Iaquaniello's attack attempt to tie the set at 18-18. The Broncos took their first lead of the set when Gossen recorded a kill on the next point, but the teams would trade points until reached a tied score at 23. EMU's Megan Crawshaw committed an attack error to give the Broncos match point, and Ranney did the rest with a kill to make it 25-23.
