Saturday, Sept. 5 Volleyball Results
Western Michigan 3, Louisiana Tech 1
Illinois State 3, Central Michigan 0
Eastern Michigan 3, Elon 0
Butler 3, Ohio 0
Buffalo 3, Dartmouth 1
Miami 3, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
Sam Houston 3, Kent State 0
IU Indy 3, Akron 2
Notre Dame 3, Toledo 1
Ball State 3, Wright State 0
Bowling Green 3, Northern Kentucky 1
Michigan State 3, Central Michigan 0
 

---

Recaps courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments

Western Michigan | Box Score
OMAHA, Neb. – The Western Michigan volleyball team picked up a tournament win for the second straight weekend, knocking off Louisiana Tech in four sets (21-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-15) on Saturday to capture the Omaha Tournament title. With the victory, the Broncos moved to 6-0, marking their best start since beginning their historic 2023 season with seven straight wins.  
 
Western Michigan hit .283 as a team for the afternoon, fueled by 56 assists from Leah Richmond. The redshirt sophomore set up three teammates for double-digit kills, led by Annalise Patchett's 17. Joining Patchett in double-figures were Gabby Weihe, who tallied 15 kills on a .481 hitting percentage, and Cassidy Pratley, who put down a career-high 10 kills while hitting .348.
 
Four Broncos recorded double-digit digs for the afternoon, with Elana Erickson's 17 leading the way. Patchett (14) and Richmond (11) were also in double-figures to each record their second double-double of the weekend, and Ella Askin registered 10 digs to go with eight kills for the Brown and Gold in just her second collegiate match. Pratley led the front line for Western Michigan with a career-high seven blocks.
  
Western Michigan continues its stretch of road matches on Tuesday with an in-state battle against Michigan State. First serve is set for 6 pm on B1G+.


Eastern Michigan | Box Score
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Freshman outside hitter Haley Trosky delivered a match-high 17 kills to power the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team to their fifth win of the young season for the program's first 5-1 start since 2015 with a sweep of Elon University, 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-20), at the Chick-fil-A Robinson Classic, co-hosted by Duquesne University and Robert Morris University Saturday, Sept. 5, at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

Trosky's 17-kill, .361-hitting performance, the third-most kills in a three-set match in the rally scoring era (2008-present), headlined a dominant offensive effort from Eastern, which hit .284 as a team and held Elon University to a .087 hitting percentage — a nearly .200 gap that defined the match from the opening set. Freshman setter Lina Govoni orchestrated the attack with 34 of EMU's 39 total assists, adding seven digs in a near-double-double effort that underscored the Eagles' ball-distribution advantage all afternoon.

Senior middle blocker Azra Eriç led EMU with three service aces while contributing five kills and three total blocks, and junior outside hitter Taeley Mahler was the Eagles' most efficient attacker, posting a .556 hitting percentage on six kills with one error. Freshman outside hitter Nattie Slusher was second on the team with nine kills, while sophomore defensive specialist Madelyn Sipe and senior libero Surabhi Srinivasan each recorded 10 digs to anchor the back row.
 
Game Notes
» Eastern improved to 5-1, the program's best start since it went 5-1 in the first six games of the 2015 season.
» Eastern had more kills, assists, aces, blocks, and digs than its opponent for the first time this season and first time since it did so in a sweep against Kent State, Oct. 9, 2025.
» EMU has out-hit its opponent in 5-of-6 games this season, producing a 5-0 record when doing so.
» Eastern's freshmen class scored 65% (38-of-58) of the team's points. Season-wide, it has scored 55.9% (196.5-of-352) of EMU's points.
» After the win, Eastern is 19-11 in non-conference tournaments under Kevin Foeman since the 2024 season.
 » Eastern Michigan hit .284 as a team (43 kills, 14 errors, 102 attacks) and held Elon to a .087 team hitting percentage (29 kills, 20 errors, 103 attacks).
 » EMU recorded nine service aces compared to Elon's five, and totaled 6.0 team blocks against Elon's 5.0.
 » The Eagles posted 48 total digs to Elon's 41 and 39 total assists to Elon's 26.
» Haley Trosky led all players in the match with 17 kills on 36 attacks (.361 hitting percentage), setting a new career high — surpassing her previous best of 15 kills recorded the night before against Robert Morris. She has now posted back-to-back career-high kill performances in consecutive matches.
» Surabhi Srinivasan and Madelyn Sipe each recorded 10 digs to co-lead EMU's back-row defense. Sipe's 10 digs stand as a career best and her first time reaching double figures.
» Lina Govoni recorded 34 assists — accounting for 87.2% of EMU's 39 total assists — along with seven digs, one kill, one service ace and 0.5 blocks for 2.5 points. The near-double-double effort is a career high for the freshman setter. Govoni has had at least 20 assists in three of his first six collegiate matches. She ranks eighth in the MAC with 6.00 assists per set.
» Nattie Slusher was second on the team in kills with nine on 26 attempts (.192 hitting percentage) for nine points. She has notched at least eight kills in five of her first six collegiate contests.
 
Historical Notes
» After the sweep against Elon, Eastern has notched consecutive sweeps for the first time under Kevin Foeman and first time since it swept the Miami RedHawks in consecutive games in the 2022 season, Oct. 14-15.
» Saturday's match was the first-ever meeting between Eastern Michigan University and Elon University in volleyball. The all-time series record stands at 1-0 in EMU's favor.
» Haley Trosky's 17 kills tie for the third-most by value in a three-set match in the rally scoring era (2008-present). She is one of two freshmen on that list, the other being the program's all-time kills leader, Rachel Iaquaniello (2009-12).
 
Eastern Michigan returns home to host Illinois State at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, at the George Gervin GameAbove Center. Admission is free.
 

Buffalo | Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo women's volleyball team (5-1, 0-0 MAC) defeated the Dartmouth Big Green (1-1, 0-0 Ivy League) on Saturday afternoon, 3-1.

This marked the first time since the 2024 season that the Bulls went 3-0 in a week.

Sydney Bell led Buffalo's attack with 15 kills and a .500 hitting percentage, a career high. Manoela Forlin recorded her third double-double on the season with 12 kills and 10 digs. This marked her 13^th career double-double. Hailey Campagna continued to be red hot on the attack as she tallied 13 kills.

Sadie Gladhill set a season-high 14 digs on the afternoon. Maddie Mitchell finished with 36 assists and nine digs.

The Bulls had the edge from the service line with eight aces to Dartmouth's two. However, both teams struggled as the Bulls had 14 service errors with the Big Green finishing with 18.

The Bulls are back in action on Friday for three matches at the Queens Invitational in Charlotte, N.C. They'll face Presbyterian and Queens on Friday followed by Chattanooga on Saturday.


Miami | Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio — The Miami University volleyball team (5-1) topped Purdue Fort Wayne (3-4) in four sets (26-24, 25-15, 18-25, 25-22) to become tournament champions at the Best Western Invitational for the second consecutive year. Molly Creech was named the Best Western Invitational tournament MVP, and Lindy Radaszewski was named to the All-Tournament Team.

NOTES:

• Creech recorded the most kills of the match (23).
• Brown and Van Deusen led all players with two service aces.
• Miami totaled 60 kills in comparison to 50 from Purdue Fort Wayne.

The Red and White hit the road once again for the ISTAP Collegiate Cup on Sept. 11-12. The RedHawks will take on Nicholls, Alabama State and South Carolina State.


Ball State | Box Score
FAIRBORN, Ohio -- After prevailing in a ferocious battle in the opening set, the Ball State women's volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 (32-30, 25-16, 25-12) victory over Wright State to close out play in the Tru by Hilton Beavercreek Invitational Saturday afternoon at the Nutter Center.

In taking down the Horizon League preseason favorite, the Cardinals hit a season-best .366 (53-12-112) and saw three attackers once again reach double figures. Junior outside Audrey Geer led the way, earning her fourth consecutive double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs. 

Junior outside Ava Smith was not far behind, collecting her third double-double of the season, and second of the weekend, with 13 kills and 10 digs. Rounding out Ball State's trio in double digits was fifth-year senior middle Madison Buckley who made the most of her first start this season with 10 kills and three blocks.

The win over the Raiders (2-3) Saturday was Ball State's third over a conference preseason favorite this weekend, as it topped Western Kentucky from Conference USA Thursday and Dayton out of the Atlantic 10 Conference Friday.

In addition, both WKU and UD received votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The combined effort was led by the dynamic setting duo of senior Lindsey Green and sophomore Reese Axness who had the Cardinals operating at peak form. Saturday would see Axness lead the duo with 28 assists, while Green tallied 10. Both would also collect seven digs, while Axness served up two aces and Green one.

Led by Saturday's effort, the pair guided the Cardinals to a .322 (155-39-360) attack percentage for the weekend, with all three matches above .300.

In the backcourt, junior libero Sophie Ledbetter continued her charge to 1,000 career digs, corralling a team-high 13 to raise her career total to 995.

Other key contributors in Saturday's win over the Raiders were senior middle Gwen Crull with four kills and a match-high four blocks, junior opposite Tiffany Snook with five kills and two digs, and freshman middle Leah Pike with five kills and a .625 (5-0-8) attack percentage in her first collegiate start.

On the defensive end, Ball State limited Wright State to a .169 (41-20-124) attack percentage with Katie Sowko earning a team-high eight kills. Taygan Corstange led WSU with 16 digs and had the team's lone service ace.

The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action Friday, when it opens play in the Fairfield Inn and Suites Dunn Campbell Invitational with matches versus Stetson (11 a.m.) and the host Camels (6 p.m.).


Bowling Green | Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Three Falcons finished with double-digit kills to lift Bowling Green to a 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20) victory over Northern Kentucky in the final match of the Best Western Invitational Saturday evening inside the Stroh Center.

Avery Hobson registered with 15 kills while Karli Molnau was credited with 14 and Anastasija Bozic downed 12 to round out the trifecta of Falcons with double-digit kills. Amanda Otten dished out a match-high 34 assists, and Sydnie Hernandez led all players with 26 digs.

For Northern Kentucky, Ivey Stocks registered 12 kills on 19 attempts to hit at a match-best .632 clip. Teammate Abbigail Pickard was credited with 31 kills throughout the contest.

Best Western All-Tournament Team:
Mia Maloney, Arkansas State (MVP)
Calea Bush, Arkansas State
Erin Madigan, Arkansas State
Karli Molnau, Bowling Green
Helen Wilford, Bowling Green
Ivey Stocks, Northern Kentucky
Salme Hollas, American

Falcon Facts

• Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky met for the second time this season and eighth in program history. The Falcons have won six consecutive meetings dating back to 2016 and hold a perfect 3-0 record at home.
• BGSU has hit at a mark of .400-or-more in at least one set through four of their six matches this season.
• Amanda Otten has racked up 2,553 career assists, which is the seventh-most in the rally scoring era. She sits 82 assists out of sixth place in the rally scoring era, held by Hanna Laube (2018-22). Otten is also 93 assists away from cracking the top 10 on the program's all-time leaderboard.

The Falcons head on the road to take part in the Xavier Invitational on Friday and Saturday. BGSU kicks off its round-robin play against Austin Peay on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. The Orange and Brown will face Saint Louis at 10 a.m. on Saturday before rounding out the tournament against host Xavier at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. All matches will take place at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.