Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
10-12,2-7MAC
Ohio
7-14,5-4MAC
Belcher Notches Second Consecutive Double-Double in Loss at Ohio
10/17/2025 5:24:00 PM | Volleyball
The senior setter recorded 31 assists and 10 digs
ATHENS, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Senior setter Ashlynn Belcher notched her second consecutive double-double with 31 assists and 11 digs and sophomore middle blocker Hatteras Welker landed a career-best 14 kills as the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team dropped a four-set match to Ohio University Friday afternoon at the Convocation Center, Oct. 17.
Welker's (Sunbury, Ohio/Sunbury) 14 kills led the team as she had a match-high .400 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Ava Siefke (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) collected her 19th double-digit kill game of the season with 11, and Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) paced the defense with 16 digs, the most in the match. Both Welker and Taeley Mahler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) had a team-high two blocks.
How it Happened
SET ONE | The Eagles found themselves in an early deficit, losing a tough first set, 25-15. Eastern trailed by as many as 10 points as Ohio grabbed the advantage for good at 5-4 in a set that was tied up two times before the Bobcats took control.
SET TWO | EMU then lost the second set, 25-21, to fall behind in the match, 2-0. The Eagles fell behind on the first point and never clawed back into the lead before dropping the set.
SET THREE | After falling in the first two sets, Eastern Michigan rallied to win the third set and make it a 2-1 match. The Eagles survived a ferocious Ohio rally in the set, holding on to win, 27-25, after leading by seven points at 18-11 earlier in the stanza. The Eastern offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza.
SET FOUR | Eastern Michigan couldn't keep the rally going and lost in the fourth set, 25-18, dropping the match, 3-1. The Eagles trailed by as many as seven points as Ohio grabbed the advantage for good at 18-17, and Eastern Michigan wasn't able to recover in a set that was tied up five times before the Bobcats took over in the second half of the stanza.
Match Notes
» Eastern's record shifted to 10-12 (2-7 MAC) while Ohio's improved to 7-14 (5-4 MAC).
» Hatteras Welker recorded a career-best 14 kills off a .400 hitting percentage, the best in her career when posting 25+ attacks.
» Ava Siefke drilled 11 kills, marking her 18th match with 10+ kills this season, a number that ranks second in the MAC and the most from an individual Eagle since Callie Minshew had 23 in 2023.
» Ashlynn Belcher recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 31 assists and 10 digs. Her 31 dimes led the team and the match, marking the 22nd time she has led the team this season. The performance marked her 15th with at least 30 assists in 2025 and her seventh match with 10+ digs, elevating her career totals to 28 and 20, respectively.
» After her 32-assists, 11-digs double-double in Thursday night's contest, Ashlynn Belcher has notched consecutive double-doubles for the second time this season and fifth in her career.
» Surabhi Srinivasan led the team in digs for the 17th time this season as she grabbed a match-high 16, marking her 17th time with 10+ digs this season, increasing her career total to 19.
» Surabhi Srinivasan secured her seventh match of the season with multiple aces and 12th in her career as she has landed two or more in three of her previous five matches.
» Ella Voorhees (Morgantown, W. Va./Morgantown/Southern Miss.) tied a career best with two service aces for the fifth time in her career.
Historical Notes
» The match marked the 62nd between the Eagles and Bobcats. Overall, Eastern holds a 20-42 mark when facing Ohio and an 8-22 clip when facing it in Athens.
Up Next
Eastern returns to Ypsilanti for a match against the University at Buffalo Thursday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m. Admission is free and the game can be streamed live on ESPN+.
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