Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, August 29
Radford, VA
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
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Radford
0-1,0-0Big South
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Eastern Mich.
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Radford
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1
Volleyball Splits First Day at Highlander Invitational
8/29/2025 7:31:00 PM | Volleyball
The Eagles earned a win over Radford before falling to Marshall
RADFORD, Va. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team started its season 1-1 as it split the first day of the Highlander Invitational, hosted by Radford University, at the Dedmon Center Friday, Aug. 29.
Eastern started the day with a four-set win (3-1) over the host Highlanders, before falling in a back-and-forth tilt to Marshall University, 3-1, in the second competition of the day.
Freshman outside hitter AshleeKay Christensen (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle) paced the Eastern offense against the Highlanders, landing 18 kills off a .205 clip, and leading the team with 20.5 points. She was aided by Ashlynn Belcher (Marengo, Ohio/Highland/Old Dominion) (48 assists, nine digs), Ava Siefke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Ursula Academy) (17 kills, nine digs), and Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) (24 digs).
Siefke added a solid performance against the Thundering Herd (14 kills, 12 digs), along with Belcher (40 assists, 14 digs), Kendal Bonney (Pioneer, Ohio/North Central Ashland) (12 kills, .688 hitting percentage), and Srinivasan (16 digs, six assists).
How it Happened – at Radford
SET ONE | Eastern got down, 3-0, to start the set but regained the 6-3 advantage after a kill from Taeley Mahler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead), followed by five Radford attacking errors. Radford tied the match at eight apiece prior to a Hatteras Welker (Sunbury, Ohio/Big Walnut) kill giving Eastern the one-point lead. EMU entered the media timeout on top, 15-14, but couldn't win the set as the Highlanders captured it, 25-22.
SET TWO | EMU got down 6-1 before scoring six straight, featuring two Siefke kills to go up 7-6 and force a Highlanders' timeout. Eastern grew its lead to three at 10-7 after the timeout thanks to kills from Welker and Mahler. Abby Stanford (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri Valley/Ashland) put down a pair of balls with assists from Mahler and Belcher, forcing another Radford timeout as the Eagles held the 21-16 edge. Eastern won the set, 25-17, to even the match at one apiece.
SET THREE | Eastern opened the set with an 8-3 lead before Radford clawed back, coming within one point at 12-11. The Eagles regained composure and went up by as much as five points (21-16) in a set that saw them land seven more kills than the opposition while hitting over .300 as a team. A Highlander's service error ended the set in a 25-21 win for Eastern to go up 2-1 in the match.
SET FOUR | Eastern Michigan led 15-12 roughly halfway through the set while Siefke's 17th kill of the match forced a Radford timeout as she put the Eagles up 19-17. The Eagles triumphed down the stretch as the set ended in a consecutive 25-21 win for EMU, resulting in a 3-1 match victory.
How it Happened – vs. Marshall
SET ONE | Eastern started hot, taking a 7-3 advantage and forcing a Marshall timeout as Siefke tallied three kills and Ella Grasson (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Padua Franciscan/High Point) landed two aces. Blocking and offensive efficiency aided the Thundering Herd as it was the first to 15 points, leading 15-13 as EMU called timeout. Marshall came out of the timeout and went on a seven-nothing run to increase its lead, 22-13. EMU battled, but dropped the first set, 25-21.
SET TWO | The Eagles faltered to start the set, going down by six, 8-2, before calling a timeout. EMU trimmed the lead to three, 15-12, prior to Marshall earning a seven-point advantage, 22-15, matching its largest of the set. Eastern battled, going on a five-point run that saw four kills from Christensen to force a Thundering Herd timeout trailing, 24-20. Marshall prevailed, winning the set, 25-20 to go on top, 2-0.
SET THREE | EMU got off to a strong start courtesy of quality play from Siefke and Welker as Eastern opened an early three-point lead, 10-7. The Eagles continued to find their groove, stretching their lead to eight at 19-11 after an 8-1 run, forcing a Thundering Herd timeout. The EMU Green & White kept on the gas, winning the set, 25-13. Bonney emerged, landing six kills in the frame.
SET FOUR | The set started in back-and-forth fashion before Marshall slightly pulled away, 15-12. The Thundering Herd grew its lead to five at 20-15, before Eastern Michigan cut the lead to two, 23-21, off Bonney's 12th kill of the day. Marshall closed out the match with a kill to secure the 3-1 victory.
Match Notes at Radford
» Belcher's 48 assists are the most from an Eagle since Elle McLoughlin dished 49 against Bradley University, Aug. 26, 2023. Her assists total is also the highest from an Eagle in the first game of the season since Kate Sulewski recorded 60 in a five-set win over Charlotte University, Aug. 24, 2007.
» Srinivasan set a career high with 24 digs, smashing her previous personal best (13) by 11. Moreover, her 24 digs were the most from an Eagle since Sierra Reed tallied 26 in a 3-2 win over the University of Hartford, Aug. 30, 2013.
» Christensen's 18 kills are the most from an EMU freshman since Siefke also put down 18 in her freshman year against Miami University, Oct. 27, 2023. The last time an Eastern freshman recorded more than 18 kills came in 2017 when Franki Strefling landed 19 against Central Michigan University, Oct. 5, 2019.
» Christensen's 18 kills are the most from a Mid-American Conferene (MAC) freshman this season.
» Belcher's 48 assists are the most in the MAC in a single game and Srinivasan's 24 digs are the second most.
» Grasson's 10 digs marked a career best.
» Eastern is now 10-4 when splitting the first two sets under Foeman.
» The Eagles out-killed their opponent for the 13th time under Foeman, producing an 11-2 record when doing so.
» Eastern's 58 assists mark the most in a single-game in the MAC this season while its kills (60) slot third and digs (64) rank fourth.
» EMU had more kills (60-39), assists (58-34), and digs (64-43) than its opponent.
Match Notes vs Marshall
» Grasson set a career high with four aces, a figure that ranks second in the MAC for single match in the season's early-going.
» Belcher recorded her first assists/digs double-double as an Eagle, and the 15th of her career overall as she dished 40 dimes and went down 14 digs.
» Siefke secured her first double-double of this season, leading the team with 14 kills while adding 12 digs.
» Belcher and Siefke's respective double-doubles mark the first time this season two Eagles have secured one in the same game, and the first time since Ella Voorhees (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown/Southern Miss.) (30 assists, 10 digs) and Taylor Smith (Pewamo, Mich./Pewamo-Westphalia) (17 assists, 10 digs) did so in a win over Northern Illinois University
» Eastern landed nine aces, tying for the most in the MAC in a single game.
» Bonney landed 12 kills off a .688 clip, a rate that ranks second in the conference as well as the most efficient match in NCAA Division I.
» Layna Waselewsky (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Eastern) registered a career-best nine digs in her second collegiate competition.
» Srinivasan grabbed 16 digs, leading the team for the second consecutive match while marking her first time recording double digits in the stat in NCAA action.
» Eastern had more kills (52-40), aces (9-8), assists (48-38), and digs (61-48) than the Thundering Herd.
Historical Notes at Radford
» Eastern increased its all-time series led against the Highlanders to 2-0.
» Eastern won its first match of the season for the first time since it beat the College of Charleston to start the 2021 season. That occasion was also the last time Eastern won its first road contest of the year.
» Christensen's 18 kills in her NCAA debut are the most in program history in the modern statistical era (1999-present). The occasion marks the fourth time a freshman has gone for 15+ kills in their NCAA premiere in program history.
Historical Notes vs Marshall
» The Eagles and Thundering Herd met for the 15th time as EMU holds a 10-5 record in the series.
» Bonney's 12 kills off a .688 clip is the most efficient offensive performance from an Eagle since Raeven Chase put down 15 off a .882 figure in a 3-1 win over Ohio University, Oct. 5, 2019.
Up Next
Eastern continues the Highlander Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 30, with a match against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, 11 a.m., on ESPN+.
Follow Us
Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on X for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball and @emuathletics.
Eastern started the day with a four-set win (3-1) over the host Highlanders, before falling in a back-and-forth tilt to Marshall University, 3-1, in the second competition of the day.
Freshman outside hitter AshleeKay Christensen (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle) paced the Eastern offense against the Highlanders, landing 18 kills off a .205 clip, and leading the team with 20.5 points. She was aided by Ashlynn Belcher (Marengo, Ohio/Highland/Old Dominion) (48 assists, nine digs), Ava Siefke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Ursula Academy) (17 kills, nine digs), and Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) (24 digs).
Siefke added a solid performance against the Thundering Herd (14 kills, 12 digs), along with Belcher (40 assists, 14 digs), Kendal Bonney (Pioneer, Ohio/North Central Ashland) (12 kills, .688 hitting percentage), and Srinivasan (16 digs, six assists).
How it Happened – at Radford
SET ONE | Eastern got down, 3-0, to start the set but regained the 6-3 advantage after a kill from Taeley Mahler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead), followed by five Radford attacking errors. Radford tied the match at eight apiece prior to a Hatteras Welker (Sunbury, Ohio/Big Walnut) kill giving Eastern the one-point lead. EMU entered the media timeout on top, 15-14, but couldn't win the set as the Highlanders captured it, 25-22.
SET TWO | EMU got down 6-1 before scoring six straight, featuring two Siefke kills to go up 7-6 and force a Highlanders' timeout. Eastern grew its lead to three at 10-7 after the timeout thanks to kills from Welker and Mahler. Abby Stanford (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri Valley/Ashland) put down a pair of balls with assists from Mahler and Belcher, forcing another Radford timeout as the Eagles held the 21-16 edge. Eastern won the set, 25-17, to even the match at one apiece.
SET THREE | Eastern opened the set with an 8-3 lead before Radford clawed back, coming within one point at 12-11. The Eagles regained composure and went up by as much as five points (21-16) in a set that saw them land seven more kills than the opposition while hitting over .300 as a team. A Highlander's service error ended the set in a 25-21 win for Eastern to go up 2-1 in the match.
SET FOUR | Eastern Michigan led 15-12 roughly halfway through the set while Siefke's 17th kill of the match forced a Radford timeout as she put the Eagles up 19-17. The Eagles triumphed down the stretch as the set ended in a consecutive 25-21 win for EMU, resulting in a 3-1 match victory.
How it Happened – vs. Marshall
SET ONE | Eastern started hot, taking a 7-3 advantage and forcing a Marshall timeout as Siefke tallied three kills and Ella Grasson (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Padua Franciscan/High Point) landed two aces. Blocking and offensive efficiency aided the Thundering Herd as it was the first to 15 points, leading 15-13 as EMU called timeout. Marshall came out of the timeout and went on a seven-nothing run to increase its lead, 22-13. EMU battled, but dropped the first set, 25-21.
SET TWO | The Eagles faltered to start the set, going down by six, 8-2, before calling a timeout. EMU trimmed the lead to three, 15-12, prior to Marshall earning a seven-point advantage, 22-15, matching its largest of the set. Eastern battled, going on a five-point run that saw four kills from Christensen to force a Thundering Herd timeout trailing, 24-20. Marshall prevailed, winning the set, 25-20 to go on top, 2-0.
SET THREE | EMU got off to a strong start courtesy of quality play from Siefke and Welker as Eastern opened an early three-point lead, 10-7. The Eagles continued to find their groove, stretching their lead to eight at 19-11 after an 8-1 run, forcing a Thundering Herd timeout. The EMU Green & White kept on the gas, winning the set, 25-13. Bonney emerged, landing six kills in the frame.
SET FOUR | The set started in back-and-forth fashion before Marshall slightly pulled away, 15-12. The Thundering Herd grew its lead to five at 20-15, before Eastern Michigan cut the lead to two, 23-21, off Bonney's 12th kill of the day. Marshall closed out the match with a kill to secure the 3-1 victory.
Match Notes at Radford
» Belcher's 48 assists are the most from an Eagle since Elle McLoughlin dished 49 against Bradley University, Aug. 26, 2023. Her assists total is also the highest from an Eagle in the first game of the season since Kate Sulewski recorded 60 in a five-set win over Charlotte University, Aug. 24, 2007.
» Srinivasan set a career high with 24 digs, smashing her previous personal best (13) by 11. Moreover, her 24 digs were the most from an Eagle since Sierra Reed tallied 26 in a 3-2 win over the University of Hartford, Aug. 30, 2013.
» Christensen's 18 kills are the most from an EMU freshman since Siefke also put down 18 in her freshman year against Miami University, Oct. 27, 2023. The last time an Eastern freshman recorded more than 18 kills came in 2017 when Franki Strefling landed 19 against Central Michigan University, Oct. 5, 2019.
» Christensen's 18 kills are the most from a Mid-American Conferene (MAC) freshman this season.
» Belcher's 48 assists are the most in the MAC in a single game and Srinivasan's 24 digs are the second most.
» Grasson's 10 digs marked a career best.
» Eastern is now 10-4 when splitting the first two sets under Foeman.
» The Eagles out-killed their opponent for the 13th time under Foeman, producing an 11-2 record when doing so.
» Eastern's 58 assists mark the most in a single-game in the MAC this season while its kills (60) slot third and digs (64) rank fourth.
» EMU had more kills (60-39), assists (58-34), and digs (64-43) than its opponent.
Match Notes vs Marshall
» Grasson set a career high with four aces, a figure that ranks second in the MAC for single match in the season's early-going.
» Belcher recorded her first assists/digs double-double as an Eagle, and the 15th of her career overall as she dished 40 dimes and went down 14 digs.
» Siefke secured her first double-double of this season, leading the team with 14 kills while adding 12 digs.
» Belcher and Siefke's respective double-doubles mark the first time this season two Eagles have secured one in the same game, and the first time since Ella Voorhees (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown/Southern Miss.) (30 assists, 10 digs) and Taylor Smith (Pewamo, Mich./Pewamo-Westphalia) (17 assists, 10 digs) did so in a win over Northern Illinois University
» Eastern landed nine aces, tying for the most in the MAC in a single game.
» Bonney landed 12 kills off a .688 clip, a rate that ranks second in the conference as well as the most efficient match in NCAA Division I.
» Layna Waselewsky (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Eastern) registered a career-best nine digs in her second collegiate competition.
» Srinivasan grabbed 16 digs, leading the team for the second consecutive match while marking her first time recording double digits in the stat in NCAA action.
» Eastern had more kills (52-40), aces (9-8), assists (48-38), and digs (61-48) than the Thundering Herd.
Historical Notes at Radford
» Eastern increased its all-time series led against the Highlanders to 2-0.
» Eastern won its first match of the season for the first time since it beat the College of Charleston to start the 2021 season. That occasion was also the last time Eastern won its first road contest of the year.
» Christensen's 18 kills in her NCAA debut are the most in program history in the modern statistical era (1999-present). The occasion marks the fourth time a freshman has gone for 15+ kills in their NCAA premiere in program history.
Historical Notes vs Marshall
» The Eagles and Thundering Herd met for the 15th time as EMU holds a 10-5 record in the series.
» Bonney's 12 kills off a .688 clip is the most efficient offensive performance from an Eagle since Raeven Chase put down 15 off a .882 figure in a 3-1 win over Ohio University, Oct. 5, 2019.
Up Next
Eastern continues the Highlander Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 30, with a match against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, 11 a.m., on ESPN+.
Follow Us
Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on X for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball and @emuathletics.
Team Stats
EMU
Rad
Kills
60
39
Errors
33
23
Attempts
145
133
Hitting %
.186
.120
Points
72.0
54.0
Assists
58
34
Aces
5
5
Blocks
7
10
Game Leaders
Kills
18
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
17
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
PH/MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
DS
/ VolleyballOH/OPP
/ VolleyballOH/OPP
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
DS/OH
/ VolleyballMB/OPP
/ Volleyball
S/DS
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
MB
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