Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
8-6,0-1MAC
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Western Michigan
4-10,1-0MAC
Siefke and Belcher Post Double-Doubles, Volleyball Drops MAC Opener at WMU
9/25/2025 8:40:00 PM | Volleyball
The match was back-and-forth till WMU closed with a 25-10 set-four win
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University volleyball student-athletes Ava Siefke and Ashlynn Belcher each recorded a double-double as the Eagles dropped their Mid-American Conference opener to Western Michigan University, 3-1, Thursday, Sept. 25, inside University Arena.
The match was back-and-forth through three sets before Western Michigan took over in the fourth frame, winning the set, 25-10.
Siefke (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) led once again as she secured her seventh double-double of the season, pacing the team with 19 kills and 16 digs while adding three aces and two blocks. AshleeKay Christensen (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle) notched her eighth match with 10+ kills this season as she drilled 12.
Belcher (Marengo, Ohio/Highland/Old Dominion) posted her fourth double-double of the season with 32 assists and 13 digs, while Hatteras Welker (Sunbury, Ohio/Sunbury) and Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) held down the defensive end with six blocks and 17 digs, respectively.
How it Happened
SET ONE | The Eagles found themselves in an early deficit, losing a tight first set, 25-23. Eastern Michigan trailed by as many as six points as Western Michigan grabbed the advantage for good at 23-22 in a set that was tied up 10 times before the Broncos took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET TWO | Eastern evened the match at 1-1 following a 25-23 set-two win. The Eagles took the lead for good at 8-7 in a set that showcased two lead changes before the Eagles took over. The Eastern Michigan offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza. The Eagles' front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Broncos' attacks in the stanza.
SET THREE | WMU responded to win set number three, putting Eastern in a 2-1 hole. The Eagles fell in a back-and-forth battle, losing in extra points, 33-31, in a set that featured a robust eight lead changes and was tied 19 times. Neither team had a lead of more than four points along the way.
SET FOUR | EMU then lost the fourth set, 25-10. The Eagles trailed by as many as 16 points as the Broncos grabbed the advantage for good at 2-1 and Eastern Michigan wasn't able to recover in a set that was knotted up just once before the Broncos took over. The match ended in a 3-1 victory for Western Michigan.
Match Notes
» Eastern's record shifted to 8-6 (0-1 MAC) while Western Michigan's improved to 4-10 (1-0 MAC).
» EMU's 78 digs are the third most in the MAC in four-set matches.
» Siefke's 19 kills led the team, marking her 11th time doing so this season as she posted her fourth performance with 15+ kills. The match continued her 10+ kills streak to 14 games, the most consistent stretch of her career and longest since Rachel Iaquaniello rattled off 19 straight to end her collegiate career, Sept. 14-Nov. 16, 2012.
» Siefke posted her seventh double-double of the season with 19 kills and 16 digs. Her seven double-doubles are the most on the team and a career best as Eastern is 5-2 this season when she does so. Moreover, her 16 digs are her seventh time with at least 10 in a match this season.
» Christensen recorded her eighth match with 10+ kills this season as she drilled 12. Her eight matches with 10+ kills ties for second in the MAC among the freshman class.
» Belcher recorded her fourth double-double of the season and first in MAC play with 32 assists and 13 digs, as she led the team in assists for the 14th time this season. Belcher is up to 18 double-doubles in her career while her 32 assists marked her 10th time with at least 30 in 2025.
» Eastern had two players record a double-double (Siefke & Belcher) for the first time since Siefke and Belcher did so in a sweep over Niagara University, Sept. 6. The match marked the third this season where two Eagles posted double-doubles as Eastern is 1-2 when it happens.
» Srinivasan grabbed 17 digs, marking her career-best 12th 10+ dig game of the season. She added seven assists, one shy of tying her career-best eight at the University of Michigan, Sept. 2, 2025. Srinivasan has led the team in digs 11 times this season.
» Ella Grasson (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Padua Franciscan/High Point) grabbed 12 digs, marking her third game with double-digit digs this season.
» Layna Waselewsky (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Eastern) notched her second game with double figures in digs as she grabbed 10.
» Wrigley Takats (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) had a career-best six blocks, doubling up her previous career high of three against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Aug. 30.
Historical Notes
» The game marked Eastern's 46th MAC opener. It now holds a 23-23 record in its first MAC game of the season and a 14-11 mark when opening MAC play on the road. Under Head Coach Kevin Foeman, Eastern is 1-2 in MAC openers as all three have taken place on the road.
» The match marked the 99th between the Eagles and Broncos. Overall, EMU holds a 24-75 record against WMU, a 5-33 mark when facing it in Kalamazoo, and an 18-62 clip when battling in MAC play.
» Eastern's 25-23 win in the second set marked its first set win over Western since Sept. 23, 2021, and the first time winning a set against it on the road since Nov. 9, 2018.
Up Next
Eastern travels to DeKalb, Ill., for the final regular season MAC matchup against Northern Illinois tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m. ET. Fans can stream the game live on ESPN+.
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