East Michigan News

Hatteras Welker achieved a personal milestone with 10 kills, yet the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team faced a defeat against Ball State in straight sets at Worthen Arena on Saturday, November 2. Welker's performance led the Eagles' offense, while she also contributed four blocks to the defense. Hannah Blaney provided eight digs, and Maddie Stayer recorded 17 assists.

In the first set, Eastern Michigan struggled early and lost 25-13 without ever leading or tying the score. The second set saw some improvement in their offensive play with a .219 hitting percentage but ended in a 25-19 loss. The final set concluded at 25-16, with Ball State securing the lead for good after an 8-7 advantage.

Welker's career-best performance included leading her team with four blocks for the 14th time this season. She tops the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with 114 blocks and an average of 1.30 blocks per set. Stayer has led her team in assists nine times this season, achieving double-digit assists in twelve matches so far.

Taylor Smith also contributed significantly with ten assists, marking her thirteenth game reaching that figure this season. Blaney maintained her defensive prowess by leading her team in digs for the twenty-first time this year; she leads the MAC with a total of 422 digs.

The match was historically significant as it marked the ninetieth meeting between Eastern Michigan and Ball State, resulting in a record of 28-62 for Eastern when facing Ball State overall and 10-31 when playing them in Muncie.

Eastern Michigan will host Central Michigan on Tuesday, November 5, as they return to Ypsilanti for their next three matches.