East Michigan News

The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team experienced a setback against the University of Toledo, losing in straight sets at Savage Arena on Friday evening. The match concluded with scores of 25-17, 25-23, and 25-23.

Maddie Stayer led the Eagles with eight kills and achieved a career-best six blocks, maintaining a hitting percentage of .353. Hannah Blaney contributed significantly with 16 digs, continuing her national ranking at fourth in this statistic. Hatteras Welker also played a key role by recording eight blocks.

In the first set, Eastern Michigan struggled to maintain momentum after being tied six times before falling behind as Toledo secured the lead for good at 14-13. The second set was closely contested but ended in favor of Toledo after they took control at 23-22 following ten ties throughout the set. The third set saw Eastern Michigan unable to recover from an early deficit, resulting in another narrow loss.

Notable performances included Welker's eight blocks which marked the second-highest number for an Eagle in a three-set match within program history. Additionally, Stayer led the team in kills for the second time this season while Ella Voorhees provided 10 assists, marking her 19th double-digit assist performance this year.

Blaney's contribution of 16 digs was her eighteenth such achievement this season, bringing her total to 349 and securing her position as first in the Mid-American Conference.

Despite this loss, Eastern Michigan holds a historical advantage over Toledo with an all-time record of 61-24 against them. Looking ahead, the Eagles will host Northern Illinois University on October 17 as part of their four-match homestand.