Box Score | Box Score (PDF) | Interview with Coach Condit | Interview with Paige Hill

ATHENS, Ohio -- A year after being knocked out by Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, the fourth seeded Miami University volleyball team returned the favor, winning its second round match over the fifth seeded Broncos 3-1 (25-23, 16-25, 25-19, 25-19) Friday evening. The RedHawks improve to 21-9 on the year, while WMU finishes the season at 15-18.

With the victory, Miami advances to the MAC Semifinal round for the second consecutive season. The RedHawks will take on number one seed Northern Illinois on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Once again MU's middle hitters were strong in leading the `Hawks to the victory. Junior Paige Hill led the way early with a big first set and finished with 12 kills and five blocks. She made only one attack error in 27 attempts for a .407 hitting percentage. Senior Jenny Ingle took over in the final two sets and finished with 14 kills. She made only two errors in 25 attempts for a hitting percentage of .480.

Hill recorded two early kills off assists from freshman setter Mackenzie Zielinski, while junior setter Krista Brakauskas had a service ace to help Miami to an 8-4 lead to begin set one. Western Michigan cut the deficit to two at 8-10, but a kill from sophomore outside hitter Katie Tomasic and a service ace by sophomore outside hitter Olivia Rusek began an 8-2 run that gave the RedHawks their largest lead of the set at 18-10. The Broncos answered with a 9-4 run to close to within three at 19-22. With Miami in front 23-21, a kill from Hill gave MU set point. WMU fought it off twice, but the sixth kill of the set by Hill finished off a 25-23 victory for the RedHawks.

The Broncos jumped to a 10-3 advantage to start set two. Hill and junior outside hitter Maris Below put down kills to help the RedHawks close to within six at 9-15, but Western Michigan eventually pushed the lead to nine at 20-11. Rusek and senior outside hitter Annie Reiswig each had another kill, but the deficit was too much to overcome as WMU took a 25-16 win.

A block and a kill from sophomore right side hitter Meredith Stutz got Miami off to a great start in set three. Ingle came alive in the frame, putting down three kills to help increase the RedHawks advantage to 10-3 and force a Bronco timeout. Out of the break, WMU closed to within six at 9-15, but two more kills from Ingle were part of a 4-2 run that made it 19-11. The Broncos answered with a 7-3 run that pulled them to within four at 18-22. Sophomore libero Maeve McDonald followed with a great dig that went over the net and fell in for a kill. A service ace by Tomasic and a kill from Hill finished off a 25-19 victory.

Kills from Hill, Ingle, Rusek and Stutz were part of a 7-3 opening to set four. Western Michigan fought back to close to within one at 10-11, but two kills from Rusek helped Miami answer with a 6-2 run to gain control at 17-12. In front, 19-15, back-to-back kills by Tomasic and Rusek made it 21-15 and forced a RedHawk timeout. Out of the break the teams traded side outs the rest of the way. That allowed Ingle to put down one final kill off a Brakauskas assist to finish off a 25-19 win and allow Miami to advance with a 3-1 victory in the match.

Rusek finished with 10 kills, while Tomasic had eight. McDonald finished with a team-high 25 digs and is now only 25 total digs away from 1,000 for her career. Zielinski had a double-double with 26 assists and an impressive 21 digs. Brakauskas finished with 24 assists.

Miami hit .215 for the match and held the Broncos to a .186 attack percentage.