Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, October 16
Ypsilanti, Mich.
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
8-12,2-6MAC
0
vs
3
Miami
14-5,6-2MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (OH) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Eastern Mich. | 16 | 23 | 16 | 0 |
Photo by: Meghan Kiebel
Volleyball Falls to Miami in Straight Sets
10/16/2026 8:24:00 PM | Volleyball
Govoni recorded a career-high 17 digs with her fifth double-double of the season
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team fell to Miami University, 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-16), at the George Gervin GameAbove Center Friday, Oct. 16, dropping to 8-12 overall and 2-6 in MAC play.
Lina Govoni (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) turned in a standout individual performance, recording a double-double with 15 assists and a career-high 17 digs while tying for the team lead with two service aces. Nattie Slusher (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) paced the Eagles in kills with six, and Olivia Stewart (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) anchored the front row defense with four block assists to lead all Eastern Michigan players at the net.
Taeley Mahler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) added five kills on 23 attacks, and Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) contributed 14 digs in a strong back-row effort. Govoni and Srinivasan combined for 31 of Eastern Michigan's 57 total digs on the evening.
How It Happened
SET ONE | Miami University came out strong in the opening set, building a 12-6 advantage and never looking back, taking the set 25-16. Eastern Michigan recorded seven kills in the frame but was unable to generate consistent offensive momentum as Miami limited the Eagles to a .100 hitting percentage, compared to the RedHawks' .262.
SET TWO | Eastern showed its most competitive play in the second set. Govoni opened at the service line and served five straight points — including two aces — to give the Eagles a 5-0 lead and force an early Miami timeout. Eastern carried that energy to a 23-22 lead late in the set, but Miami responded to close out the set 25-23. Slusher contributed four of her six kills in the set, while the team recorded a team-best .146 hitting percentage.
SET THREE | Miami raced out to an early advantage in the third set, building a 12-8 lead, before back-to-back Eastern points cut the deficit to 12-10. The RedHawks responded by scoring the next four points, leading by at least four points the rest of the way and closing the set with a 25-16 win for the sweep.
Match Notes
» Lina Govoni recorded a career-high 17 digs, surpassing her previous best of 15, set Sept. 11 against Montana, while also posting 15 assists and two service aces for her fifth career double-double.
» Surabhi Srinivasan posted 14 digs, marking her 19th match with double-digit digs in the 2026 season across 20 matches played. She leads the MAC in total digs this season with 342.
» Olivia Stewart led Eastern Michigan with four block assists — the second-highest single-match block assist total of her career at EMU, one match after setting her career high of five against Miami on Oct. 15.
» Taeley Mahler recorded five kills to bring her career kill total at Eastern Michigan to 399, leaving her one kill shy of the 400-kill milestone.
» Nattie Slusher led the Eagles in kills with six and leads all MAC freshmen in kills per set this season with 2.71.
» Mya Eberline (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg) made her collegiate debut in the third set.
» Eastern Michigan falls to 8-12 overall and 2-6 in MAC play with the loss.
Historical Notes
» The all-time series between Eastern Michigan and Miami University now stands at 22-46 across 68 meetings. Miami won both this weekend's home-and-home meetings, 3-1 on Oct. 15 and 3-0 on Oct. 16.
» EMU had won seven of the previous eight meetings in the all-time series before Miami's back-to-back wins this weekend.
» The loss extended Eastern Michigan's losing streak to four matches, the longest of the 2026 season.
» Surabhi Srinivasan has recorded double-digit digs in 19 of 20 matches this season and leads the MAC in total digs.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan returns to action Thursday, Oct. 22, at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
Follow Us
Stay up to date with Eastern Michigan volleyball by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on social media, and visit EMUEagles.com for the latest news, stats and schedules.
Lina Govoni (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) turned in a standout individual performance, recording a double-double with 15 assists and a career-high 17 digs while tying for the team lead with two service aces. Nattie Slusher (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) paced the Eagles in kills with six, and Olivia Stewart (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) anchored the front row defense with four block assists to lead all Eastern Michigan players at the net.
Taeley Mahler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) added five kills on 23 attacks, and Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) contributed 14 digs in a strong back-row effort. Govoni and Srinivasan combined for 31 of Eastern Michigan's 57 total digs on the evening.
How It Happened
SET ONE | Miami University came out strong in the opening set, building a 12-6 advantage and never looking back, taking the set 25-16. Eastern Michigan recorded seven kills in the frame but was unable to generate consistent offensive momentum as Miami limited the Eagles to a .100 hitting percentage, compared to the RedHawks' .262.
SET TWO | Eastern showed its most competitive play in the second set. Govoni opened at the service line and served five straight points — including two aces — to give the Eagles a 5-0 lead and force an early Miami timeout. Eastern carried that energy to a 23-22 lead late in the set, but Miami responded to close out the set 25-23. Slusher contributed four of her six kills in the set, while the team recorded a team-best .146 hitting percentage.
SET THREE | Miami raced out to an early advantage in the third set, building a 12-8 lead, before back-to-back Eastern points cut the deficit to 12-10. The RedHawks responded by scoring the next four points, leading by at least four points the rest of the way and closing the set with a 25-16 win for the sweep.
Match Notes
» Lina Govoni recorded a career-high 17 digs, surpassing her previous best of 15, set Sept. 11 against Montana, while also posting 15 assists and two service aces for her fifth career double-double.
» Surabhi Srinivasan posted 14 digs, marking her 19th match with double-digit digs in the 2026 season across 20 matches played. She leads the MAC in total digs this season with 342.
» Olivia Stewart led Eastern Michigan with four block assists — the second-highest single-match block assist total of her career at EMU, one match after setting her career high of five against Miami on Oct. 15.
» Taeley Mahler recorded five kills to bring her career kill total at Eastern Michigan to 399, leaving her one kill shy of the 400-kill milestone.
» Nattie Slusher led the Eagles in kills with six and leads all MAC freshmen in kills per set this season with 2.71.
» Mya Eberline (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg) made her collegiate debut in the third set.
» Eastern Michigan falls to 8-12 overall and 2-6 in MAC play with the loss.
Historical Notes
» The all-time series between Eastern Michigan and Miami University now stands at 22-46 across 68 meetings. Miami won both this weekend's home-and-home meetings, 3-1 on Oct. 15 and 3-0 on Oct. 16.
» EMU had won seven of the previous eight meetings in the all-time series before Miami's back-to-back wins this weekend.
» The loss extended Eastern Michigan's losing streak to four matches, the longest of the 2026 season.
» Surabhi Srinivasan has recorded double-digit digs in 19 of 20 matches this season and leads the MAC in total digs.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan returns to action Thursday, Oct. 22, at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
Follow Us
Stay up to date with Eastern Michigan volleyball by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on social media, and visit EMUEagles.com for the latest news, stats and schedules.
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
Miami
EMU
Kills
44
26
Errors
14
16
Attempts
124
107
Hitting %
.242
.093
Points
56.0
34.0
Assists
40
25
Aces
7
4
Blocks
5
4
Game Leaders
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
4
Aces
2
Blocks
0
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Monday, September 07
Monday, September 07
Saturday, September 05
Thursday, September 03