Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
7-8,1-2MAC
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Western Michigan
10-5,2-2MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mich. | 12 | 11 | 17 | 0 |
| Western Mich. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball Falls at Western Michigan
10/2/2026 8:15:00 PM | Volleyball
Christensen tallied six kills in the third set
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Western Michigan University at University Arena Friday, Oct. 2, falling in straight sets by scores of 25-12, 25-11 and 25-17 to move to 7-8 overall and 1-2 in MAC play.
Individual bright spots emerged throughout the match for Eastern, led by AshleeKay Christensen (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle), who delivered six kills on 11 attempts with just one error for a .455 hitting percentage in a single set of action off the bench, pacing the team in kills. Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) was a force in the back row, recording a match-high 14 digs — nearly a third of Eastern Michigan's 45 total on the evening — to go with five assists and one kill.
Lina Govoni (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) directed the offense with 14 assists while also recording both of the team's two service aces — tying her career high in that category — along with six digs and a block assist. Nattie Slusher (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) finished second on the team with five kills on 24 total attacks, and Maddie Herman (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville Community) paced the front-row defense with a team-leading two block assists to go with three kills.
How It Happened
SET ONE | Western Michigan took the opening set 25-12, hitting .313 on 12 kills across 32 attempts. Eastern worked through 32 swings in the set, with Govoni distributing to keep multiple options in play as the offense worked to find its footing. Srinivasan was active in the back row from the opening rally, beginning to build what would become a match-high 14-dig performance by the final whistle.
SET TWO | Western Michigan took the second set 25-11, hitting .306 on 13 kills in 36 attempts. Govoni continued to run the offense — finishing the match with 14 assists and six digs — while Herman provided a presence at the net, contributing to the team's four total blocks on the evening. Srinivasan continued her strong defensive work in the back row, and Govoni added both of the team's service aces across the match, tying her career high in that category.
SET THREE | Eastern Michigan's most competitive set of the evening saw the Eagles put up 13 kills across 41 attempts, with Christensen's entry off the bench providing an immediate lift. She recorded six of those kills on just 11 attempts with one error for a .455 clip — the most efficient attacking line of the match for either team — demonstrating the offensive firepower this roster is capable of generating. Slusher took a team-high 24 total attacks across the match, and Herman added three kills and two block assists to round out a productive night at the net. Western Michigan closed out the match 25-17, but the Eagles' third-set effort offered a glimpse of the offensive potential this young roster carries.
Match Notes
» Eastern Michigan falls to 7-8 overall and 1-2 in MAC play with the loss.
» AshleeKay Christensen led the team with six kills in one set of action, hitting a team-high .455 (six kills, one error, 11 attempts) off the bench — the most efficient attacking line of the match for either team.
» Surabhi Srinivasan led all players on the court with 14 digs, accounting for nearly a third of EMU's 45 total team digs. She also added five assists and one kill.
» Lina Govoni paced the offense with 14 assists and recorded both of the team's two service aces, tying her career high in that category. She also added six digs and a block assist.
» Nattie Slusher finished second on the team with five kills while leading the team with 24 total attacks on the night.
» Maddie Herman led the team in block assists with two, adding three kills on the night.
» Eastern Michigan totaled 45 digs as a team, led by Srinivasan's match-high 14.
» Surabhi Srinivasan's career dig total at Eastern Michigan now stands at 845 through 101 matches, ranking 10th in the 15 seasons of published box scores at EMU. She is 155 digs from 1,000 career digs at Eastern Michigan.
» Lina Govoni's career assist total at EMU now stands at 348 through 15 matches and 50 sets played, ranking seventh in the MAC in assists per set (6.68) entering the match.
» Freshmen have accounted for 52.6% of Eastern Michigan's total points this season, per team game notes. The 2026 roster features 14 newcomers — the second-highest total in the nation entering the season — including eight true freshmen, the most since at least 1999.
Historical Notes
» Friday's match was the 100th all-time meeting between Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan in volleyball. EMU's all-time series record stands at 24-76 following the loss. The series began Oct. 30, 1976.
» Eastern Michigan's road record against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo fell to 5-34 all-time.
» EMU's last win in the all-time series against Western Michigan came Oct. 6, 2018, a 3-1 home victory. The Eagles have now lost 14 consecutive matches to the Broncos since that victory.
» Head coach Kevin Foeman's record at Eastern Michigan moves to 38-69 following the loss. His overall career record stands at 191-158.
» Azra Eriç (Istanbul, Turkey/Kadir Has Anadolu lisesi/Robert Morris) entered the match leading the MAC and ranking 42nd nationally in total blocks (62), and leading the conference in service aces (22). She recorded her 300th career block Sept. 6, 2026.
» Surabhi Srinivasan entered the match ranked first in the MAC and 45th nationally in digs per set (4.41).
» Eastern Michigan entered the match ranked 64th nationally in service aces, 67th in aces per set (1.75), 80th in digs per set (14.65), 88th in opponent hitting percentage (.186) and 92nd in total blocks (113.0). EMU ranked second in the MAC in blocking and led the conference in service aces entering the match.
Up Next
Eastern returns home to face Central Michigan University Saturday, Oct. 3, in Ypsilanti, Mich. Live stats are available at Watch on ESPN+.
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Follow Eastern Michigan volleyball on social media at @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics for the latest news, updates and highlights throughout the 2026 season.
