Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
5-24,3-14MAC
Kent State
6-22,2-15MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent St. | 24 | 21 | 22 | 0 |
| Eastern Mich. | 26 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Eagles Earn Sweep Against Kent State
11/11/2023 8:31:00 PM | Volleyball
Six seniors were honored following the victory
Highlight Video | Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team defeated the Golden Flashes of Kent State University in three sets Saturday, Nov. 11. The Mid-American Conference victory marked the third of the season and the fifth overall win under first-year head coach Kevin Foeman.
Additionally, six seniors were honored after the match in Callie Minshew (Brandon, Miss./Brandon/Mississippi State), Samantha Basham (Granville, Ohio/Newark Catholic), Bella Hommes (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern), Olivia Szylar (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park), Angel Baylark (Burlington, Iowa Burlington University of Tennessee-Martin), and Hannah Kivett (Chandler, Ind./Castle/Florida Gulf Coast).
The Eagles offense was paced by Minshew, who finished with 19 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .317, and by Basham, who had 12. Defensively, EMU saw two players reach double figures in digs as Emma McMahon (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) had 16 and Hannah Howard (Toledo, Ohio./Saint Ursula Academy) had 14. From the front row, Baylark contributed five blocks.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Eagles persevered in a back-and-forth first set to win 26-24 in a stanza that featured five lead changes and was tied 12 times. Neither team led by more than three points in the match. EMU saw a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four Kent State attacks in the stanza.
SET 2 | After their win in the first set, Eastern Michigan put themselves on the cusp of a sweep with a 25-21 victory in set number two. The Eagles scored first and never trailed in the set to secure the victory. Eastern opened up as much as a six-point lead at 21-15 before finishing off the set, collecting 16 kills along the way.
SET 3 | The Green and White closed the match in a 3-0 sweep after grabbing set three. The Eagles the set set three 25-22. Eastern took the lead for good at 10-9 in a set that showcased two lead changes before the Eagles took over the lead.
Match Notes
» Both Basham (12) and Minshew (19) finished with double-digit kills in the match for the second contest in a row. Prior to this series with KSU, the last time the two recorded double-digit kills in the same match was against Central Michigan, Sept. 26, when Minshew recorded 25 and Basham claimed 11.
» As a team, EMU recorded six total blocks to the opponent's four, marking the team's 10th match out-blocking its opponent.
» McMahon led Eastern Michigan in digs with 16. This marks the sixth time this season in which she has recorded 16 digs in a match.
» Basham recorded 12 kills to wrap up her career in Ypsilanti. The fifth-year finished with 27 double-digit kill performances in home matches in five seasons at Eastern Michigan.
» Howard recorded 14 digs in the win over Kent State. It is the 17th time in which she has recorded double-digit digs for the season.
Historical Notes
» The three-set victory over Kent State marked the 16th straight-setter of the 2023 campaign for the Eagles and the second in favor of the Green and White as they hold a 2-14 record in such matches. The last time the Eagles defeated their opponent in three sets was the 3-0 win over Chicago State University, Sept. 8.
» With its win over the Golden Flashes, Eastern Michigan has won back-to-back matches for the first time this season. The team last accomplished the feat in 2022 when EMU won two straight matches at Miami, Oct. 14-15, 2022.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will travel north to conclude the season with the Chippewas of Central Michigan University, Wednesday, Nov. 15. First serve is set for 6 p.m. Fans can stream the match on ESPN+.
