BOULDER, Colo. – The Western Michigan volleyball workforce started its 2022 season with a 3-1 win over Summit League preseason favourite Denver on Friday on the Buffs Invitational. In its second match of the day, the Broncos dropped a 3-1 determination to Colorado.
FINAL SCORE (M1): Western Michigan 3, Denver 1
LOCATION: CU Occasions Heart (Boulder, Colo.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-0) | Denver (0-1)
FINAL SCORE (M2): Colorado 3, Western Michigan 1
LOCATION: CU Occasions Heart (Boulder, Colo.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-1) | Colorado (2-0)
Maggie King (13 kills, 13 digs) and Julia Marr (11 kills, 14 digs) every recorded double-doubles for Western Michigan within the opener towards Denver, whereas Logan Case (47 assists, 9 digs) got here simply shy of a double-double of her personal. Marr’s career-high 14 digs led WMU and helped her register the primary double-double of her collegiate profession.
King’s 13 kills paced a balanced WMU assault which noticed 4 completely different gamers tally double-digit kills. Becoming a member of King and Marr in double-figures had been Madison Merz, who totaled 12 whereas hitting .429, and Abi Wilcoxson, who notched 11 on a .346 hitting proportion. Andelyn Simkins pitched in 10 digs for the Broncos.
Mary Clare Brusek earned a begin within the first match of her collegiate profession and tallied three kills. Additionally making the primary appearances of their faculty careers towards the Pioneers had been Amanda Glanton, who had a kill and two blocks, and Reeghan Boyer, who tallied 5 digs and picked up an help.
Within the first set, a five-point spurt helped Denver get out to a 12-5 benefit. A 7-2 surge introduced the Broncos again to inside two, 17-15. After falling behind by 5, 20-15, WMU tallied 4 straight factors to shut the hole to 20-19, however 5 of the ultimate six went to DU to offer the Pioneers the primary set.
Western Michigan bought off to the higher begin within the second body and opened up a 10-6 lead within the early going. WMU’s benefit bought as excessive as 5, 17-12, earlier than Denver charged again, shaving the margin to 1 on six events earlier than finally drawing stage at 24-24. After a DU error put the Broncos on the point of tying the match, Brusek hammered down a kill to seal the set for WMU, 27-25, and ship the groups into the break even at one set apiece.
Denver held a slim benefit for a lot of the third body till a 7-0 WMU run, capped by a Merz solo block, pushed Western Michigan right into a 19-15 lead. The Pioneers bought as shut as 19-17, however six of the ultimate eight factors went to WMU, giving the Broncos a 2-1 edge heading into the fourth set.
WMU carried the momentum into the fourth body, because it opened up an early 6-2 edge. Denver responded with runs of 5-1 and 6-2 on the best way to grabbing a 16-13 lead. Trailing 17-14, the Broncos rattled off 4 straight factors to briefly transfer again in entrance, 18-17. With the set tied at 19-19, Western Michigan used a 5-1 spurt to get inside a degree of victory. After the Pioneers fought off one match level, King’s closing kill of the afternoon sealed WMU’s 1-0 begin to the 2022 marketing campaign.
Within the second match of the day, Marr tallied a match-high 17 kills to guide the Broncos. Going again to the tip of the 2021 season, Marr has recorded double-digit kills in 9 consecutive contests. King and Wilcoxson added 12 and 10 kills, respectively, for WMU, whereas Case handed out a match-high 43 assists.
Defensively, Simkins paced Western Michigan with 13 digs, whereas Boyer posted 10. Wilcoxson and Glanton collected a career-high 5 blocks apiece.
Colorado bought out to a 5-2 edge within the first body, however WMU battled again to even it up at 10-10. The 2 groups traded factors till the Buffaloes regained a slim 17-15 lead. With CU in entrance 20-18, Western Michigan rattled off 5 in a row to ignite a 7-2 surge which gave the Broncos the primary set of the night.
With WMU on prime 10-8 within the second set, the Buffaloes tallied 4 in a row to maneuver forward, 12-10. Trailing 15-14, Western Michigan used a 5-1 spurt to wrestle the benefit again from Colorado, 19-16, and power the hosts into calling a timeout. The Broncos later held a 23-20 lead, however 4 straight and 6 of the following seven went to the Buffaloes, who grabbed the set, 26-24, and drew even within the match.
The third body was back-and-forth early, with neither workforce grabbing a lead of greater than two factors till a 4-1 stretch put the Buffaloes forward 11-8. Western Michigan scraped its means again to inside two on 5 events, earlier than a 5-0 Colorado surge prolonged the hosts’ benefit to 22-15 and put the third set past WMU’s attain.
Early within the fourth body, a four-point run helped Colorado break a 4-4 tie and declare an 8-4 edge. Going through an 11-5 deficit, WMU put collectively a 5-0 run to get again to inside a degree, 11-10. The Buffaloes responded with the following 4 to push the margin again out to 15-10. Western Michigan trimmed CU’s benefit again to 3, 17-14, however Colorado used a 7-1 surge to finish the specter of a Bronco comeback.
Western Michigan concludes play on the Buffs Invitational on Saturday afternoon with a contest towards Inexperienced Bay. First serve is ready for two pm.
