The fourth-seeded Western Michigan Broncos won 3-1 in the first Mid-American Conference (MAC) quarterfinal game against the fifth-seeded Buffalo Bulls Friday evening at the Stroh Center.
Western Michigan finished the regular season with a 17-12 overall record and a 13-5 conference record. Buffalo, on the other hand, finished with a 16-13 regular season record and a 12-6 conference record.
The two teams split the regular season series, each sweeping each other once.
First Set: 25-19 (Western Michigan)
The Broncos started the first set playing with a ton of energy, getting off to a quick 7-3 set lead. Senior outside hitter Julia Marr specifically got off to a hot start with two kills on four attacks in the opening Western Michigan run. 2024 All-MAC First Team, fifth-year Broncos setter Logan Case also caused trouble for Buffalo with two service aces in the opening run as well.
Western Michigan kept the foot on the gas with another 5-3 run to take a 12-6 lead over Buffalo. Case had three assists in the run with 2024 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, and fifth-year libero Andelyn Simkins had three digs. Western Michigan junior middle blocker Mary Clare Brusek also started to offensively attack for the Broncos with three kills. This led Buffalo’s head coach, Scott Smith, to call a timeout.
Buffalo came out of the timeout with new life to them. Back-to-back kills by 2024 All-MAC First-Team, sixth-year middle blocker Abby Leigh started a Buffalo 3-0 run to make it 12-9 Western Michigan. A back-and-forth middle part of the set was tied 8-8, making it 20-17, still with the Broncos on top.
2024 All-MAC first team, fifth-year outside hitter Katrin Trebichavska, tried to get Buffalo back in the set with a massive seven kills in the set. However, three kills from 2024 All-MAC Second Team, senior middle blocker Madison Merz, and a set-ending Elana Erickson service ace pulled the Broncos away, giving them a slim 25-19 first -win.
Second Set: 25-17 (Western Michigan)
Western Michigan lost zero momentum at the beginning of the first set. The Broncos started on a 5-2 run with two kills by Merz and two kills by Julia Marr.
A back-and-forth 6-4 Western Michigan run then gave the Broncos a widening 11-6 lead. Abby Leigh and Katrin Trebichavska continued to carry Buffalo’s limited offense with three kills each in the early part of the set.
Then, the trio of Merz, Marr, and Brusek highlighted a crucial 7-1 Western Michigan run to give them an 18-12 lead. Freshman outside hitter Elana Erickson also got another ace in the run to bring her total to two in the game.
Buffalo’s overall team offense improved after another Scott Smith timeout, with both freshman middle blocker Reese Collins and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Tehya Shaw getting their first kills of the match. However, three service errors in the last stretch of the set, combined with a couple of tremendous kills by Merz and Marr, gave the Broncos a 25-17 second set victory.
Third Set: 25-19 (Buffalo)
The Trevichavska and Abby Leigh combination continued to dominate for Buffalo to start the third set. Western Michigan had no answer for them as three kills for Leigh, two kills for Trebichavska, and a booming service ace for Trebichavska gave Buffalo six of their first seven points. However, the emergence of fifth-year outside hitter Keona Salesman as a fourth offensive option for the Broncos helped them keep pace with the score knotted up at 9-9 to start the set.
After a kill by Trebichavska gave Buffalo a 10-9 lead, junior defensive specialist Reeghan Boyer was subbed into the game for Western Michigan to serve, and she helped the Broncos win three straight points to take a 12-10 lead. Some back-and-forth points then gave the Broncos a slim 15-14 set lead at the next Scott Smith timeout.
The Leigh sisters then completely took over the set, scoring two kills each between Mandy Leigh and Abby Leigh. Two attack errors by Western Michigan as well made it a 6-0 Buffalo run and a 20-16 Buffalo lead. In her 20th year with the Broncos, Western Michigan head coach Colleen Munson was forced to call her first timeout of the match.
Later on in the set, with the score 23-19 Buffalo, Shaw got a huge block off an attack error by Merz. A subsequent attack error by Marr gave the Bulls a season-extending 25-19 third-set win.
Fourth Set: 25-18 (Western Michigan)
Buffalo’s crowd was deafeningly loud in the Stroh Center in between sets, and there was a sense that the Bulls could make a great comeback with the way they finished off the third set.
However, Salesman had other ideas. Back-to-back Salesman kills, and a block led the way for the Broncos to start the fourth set on an 8-2 run. The start gave Western Michigan four players with double-digit kills in the match.
After Buffalo closed the gap to 11-7, Merz may have had the kill of the match off of an extremely long volley and a Case assist. The point seemed to take a little energy out of Buffalo, and the Bronco lead eventually grew to 15-9.
Munson then won a challenge that changed a Trebichavska kill to an attack error. This shifted the momentum even more to Western Michigan as their bench began to hype up the crowd and their teammates. After the challenge, a 7-4 run by the Broncos gave them a 22-13 set lead.
Case and Salesman each had kills out of another Buffalo timeout to give the Broncos a 24-14 lead. With all hope seeming to be lost for Buffalo, four straight Buffalo kills made it 24-18. A Mary Clare Brusek kill shot down this brief Buffalo hope, and Western Michigan won the final set 25-18 and punched their ticket to the MAC Tournament semifinals.
The biggest difference in the outcome was Buffalo’s reliance on Abby Leigh and Trebichavska compared to Western Michigan’s more balanced performance. Leigh and Trebichavska were the only players with double-digit kills for Buffalo, whereas Western Michigan had four players in double figures.
Overall, it was a team win for the Broncos that should give them some confidence heading into their matchup tomorrow with the top-ranked Falcons.
Bowling Green will take on Western Michigan for a trip to the MAC Championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Stroh Center.
