Volleyball Drops Five-set Heartbreaker to WMU

Saturday, November 3

Kalamazoo, Mich.

7:00 p.m. ET

Miami University

19-7, 11-3MAC

Western Michigan

14-14,4-10MAC

MIAMI

Western Michigan

Volleyball Drops Five-set Heartbreaker to WMU

11/3/2018 9:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Western Michigan Box (PDF)

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Miami University volleyball team continued to battle in every set, but ultimately too many attack errors led to a 2-3 (25-23, 23-25, 21-25, 25-18, 13-15) defeat at Western Michigan on Saturday evening. The RedHawks are now 19-7 overall and 11-3 in the Mid-American Conference. The Broncos improve to 14-14 overall and 4-10 in the MAC.

Miami out dug WMU, 82-75, for the match and held the Broncos to a .183 attack percentage. However, the RedHawks had a season-high 33 attack errors to go with their 55 kills, recording an attack percentage of .126.

Freshman outside hitter Gaby Harper had a strong performance, finishing with a double-double of 16 kills and 11 digs. Playing in a 5-1 system, sophomore setter Morgan Seaman also had a double-double with a season-high 43 assists and 14 digs.

Trailing 3-6 in set one, four kills from Harper along with kills by Seaman, junior outside hitter Taylor Daignault and freshman middle hitter Corinne Jemison were part of an 11-2 run that gave Miami a 14-8 lead. Harper, junior middle hitter Margaret Payne and senior right side hitter Stela Kukoc each had kills to help the RedHawks maintain a 20-14 advantage. The Broncos scored the next four to pull within two but a solo block from Seaman got Miami moving again. The RedHawks got set point at 24-20 after a kill from Daignault. WMU fought it off three times, but a kill from Daignault off an assist by Seaman gave Miami a 25-23 win.

The Broncos took control of set 2 early, jumping to a 6-1 lead. Payne had two kills, while Jemison had a kill and a block as part of a 9-6 run that cut the deficit to 10-12. Western Michigan pushed the lead to 17-12 before Harper once again took over. She put down two straight kills, while one from Payne cut the Bronco lead to one at 18-17. WMU scored the next three, but Miami answered with three straight of its own. The teams traded side outs until the 'Hawks scored two in a row to tie the score at 23. The Broncos answered with the next two to take a 25-23 victory and tie the match at one.

Payne had two kills, while Harper had one as the RedHawks started with a 4-0 lead to begin set three. Western Michigan followed with eight of the next 11 points to take an 8-7 advantage. Miami kept fighting, as two more kills from Payne helped it take a 14-11 lead. WMU went on an 8-3 run to make it 19-17 and force a RedHawk timeout. Out of the break, back-to-back kills from senior middle hitter Courtney Simons and freshman outside hitter Sophie Riemersma tied the score at 19. The Broncos though would respond with a 6-2 run to take a 25-21 win.

Needing to respond, service aces by Kukoc, Harper and sophomore defensive specialist Abigail Huser helped Miami take an 8-2 lead to begin set four. The RedHawks maintained the advantage at around six points until it was 15-9. WMU went on a 6-1 run to pull within one at 15-16. Miami scored the next seven in row, as kills from Payne and Kukoc, along with a service ace by Seaman helped make it 23-15. That proved to be more than enough as a kill from Harper gave Miami a 25-18 win and sent the match to a decisive fifth set.

Set five could not have started any better for the RedHawks as kills from Harper and Kukoc were sandwiched between three Bronco attack errors to give Miami a 5-0 advantage. After six straight side outs, the teams traded sides with the 'Hawks on top, 8-3. At that point, Western Michigan went on a key 8-1 run to take an 11-9 lead. The teams traded service errors, until a service ace by Kukoc tied the score at 12. The Broncos scored the next two to get match point. Jemison fought it off once, but WMU put the following one down to take a 15-13 victory and win the match, 3-2.

Payne finished with 13 kills and four blocks for Miami, while Kukoc had six kills and 13 digs. Huser (13 digs), Daignault (12 digs), and junior libero Lindsay Dauch (11 digs) made it six players with double-digit digs for the RedHawks.

Miami begins the final week of the regular season next Friday when it travels to Kent State for a 6 p.m. match.