Western Michigan 3, Bowling Green 2
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The No. 4 seed Western Michigan volleyball team is headed to the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship match for the second consecutive season after taking down top-seeded Bowling Green in five (25-18, 21-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-8) on Saturday.
 
Logan Case picked up her team-leading 12th double-double of the season with 57 assists and 15 digs, and for the second straight day set up four teammates for double-digit kills. Madison Merz led the charge with 17 kills on a .519 hitting percentage. Anna Calcagno notched 15 kills, Julia Marr tallied 13 and Keona Salesman had 11.
 
Andelyn Simkins anchored the defense once again with 30 digs, her third match of 30 or more digs this season. Case (15) and Carley Piercefield (13) joined Simkins in double-figures to aid the defensive effort. WMU also had 10 blocks for the second straight contest, with Mary Clare Brusek and Marr recording a team-high five apiece. Marr's five rejections established a new career high.
 
The Broncos came out of the gates quickly, racing out to a 9-2 edge in the early stages of set one. BGSU tallied the next five to close the gap to 9-7. WMU countered with a four-point burst to build the margin back to six, 13-7. A 5-1 stretch helped Bowling Green get right back to within two, 15-13. At 17-15, Western Michigan put together a 5-1 run of its own to make it 22-16 and put the frame beyond reach.
 
Seven consecutive points helped the Falcons create a nine-point gap, 16-7, in the second set. With the margin at 21-12, WMU used a 9-1 surge, which included seven straight points, to charge all the way back to within one, 22-21. Bowling Green responded with the next three points to stave off the rally and even the contest at one set apiece.
 
A couple of three-point bursts helped BGSU get out to an 11-6 edge in the third set. Four consecutive points allowed Western Michigan to close the gap to one, 13-12, and a 4-1 spurt then evened the frame at 16-16. The Falcons regained the lead, 21-19, but the Broncos notched the next three to go back up, 22-21. With it tied again at 23-23, WMU got a kill from Marr and then sealed the set on a rejection by Brusek and Marr.
 
Bowling Green started the fourth with seven of the first nine points to seize the early advantage. Five of the next six went to Western Michigan, and the visitors eventually got back level at 11-11. With the frame even again at 18-18, the Falcons notched four straight points to begin a 7-2 run which closed out the set and sent the contest into a decisive fifth frame.  
 
Western Michigan stormed out to a 7-0 lead at the start of the fifth and never looked back, as it booked its place in the championship match for the second straight year and third time in the last five seasons.
 
The Broncos look to repeat as MAC Tournament champions on Sunday as they face the winner of Saturday's second semifinal match between No. 2 seed Central Michigan and No. 3 seed Ball State. Sunday's championship match is slated for 4 pm on ESPN+.