Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, September 22
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
6:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
7-6,1-0MAC
3
at
0
Central Michigan
0-14,0-1MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mich. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Central Mich. | 20 | 14 | 15 | 0 |
Photo by: Lilly Sharrak
Volleyball Opens MAC Play with Dominant 3-0 Sweep at Central Michigan
9/22/2026 8:39:00 PM | Volleyball
Eagles Post Season-Best .394 Hitting Percentage in MAC-Opening Road Sweep
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team opened MAC play in emphatic fashion, sweeping Central Michigan University 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-15) at Mount Pleasant, Mich., Tuesday, Sept. 22, snapping a four-match losing streak and posting a season-best .394 hitting percentage in the process.
Three Eagles reached nine or more kills on the night, led by Nattie Slusher (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton), who paced Eastern Michigan with 10 kills on 25 attempts and a .320 hitting percentage. Haley Trosky (Pittsburgh, Pa./West Allegheny) was razor-sharp offensively, connecting on nine kills on just 15 swings for a .467 clip, while AshleeKay Christensen (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle) matched Trosky's nine kills. Azra Eriç (Istanbul, Turkey/Kadir Has Anadolu lisesi/Robert Morris) was the most efficient attacker on the floor, hitting .556 on nine attempts while leading the match with three service aces and pacing EMU with 2.0 total blocks.
Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) anchored the back row with a match-high 15 digs and added six assists and two aces. Setting duties were shared between Kaylin Richter (Temperance, Mich./Bedford), who distributed a career-high 16 assists, and Lina Govoni (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West), who added 13 assists and five digs.
How It Happened
SET ONE | Eastern Michigan came out composed and in control, with Eriç igniting the Eagles immediately by firing back-to-back service aces to open the set. The balanced attack — with Slusher, Trosky and Christensen all finding rhythm early — kept the Chippewas' defense scrambling. EMU closed the opener on a 4-0 run that featured a Srinivasan ace and kills from Trosky, Richter and Eriç, forcing CMU to burn a timeout before the final point was played. Eastern took the set, 25-20.
SET TWO | The Eagles turned up the pressure in the second set, holding Central Michigan to just 14 points in the most dominant frame of the night. Mia Schaefer (Willoughby, Ohio/Lake Catholic/Niagara) sparked a critical momentum shift with back-to-back service aces that forced a CMU timeout, and Richter and Govoni orchestrated the offense efficiently, setting up a steady stream of kills from the front row. EMU finished on a dominant 4-0 closing run to pull away decisively, 25-14.
SET THREE | Eastern maintained its momentum and never allowed Central Michigan back into the match. Eriç again led the early charge with a service ace and a kill to give EMU the initiative from the opening rally. EMU built a decisive lead and sealed the sweep with a closing 4-0 run featuring two Eriç kills, completing the 3-0 road sweep and opening MAC play at 1-0.
Match Notes
» Eastern Michigan improved to 7-6 overall and 1-0 in MAC play with the victory.
» EMU's .394 team hitting percentage was a 2026 season high, surpassing the previous mark of .284 set against Elon on Sept. 5.
» The Eagles committed just four attack errors — a 2026 season low, shattering the previous low of 13 set against Robert Morris on Sept. 4.
» Nattie Slusher led EMU with 10 kills on 25 attempts (.320), adding 1.0 block and 2 digs for 10.5 total points. This was the seventh match of the season scoring double-digit kills.
» Haley Trosky posted nine kills on 15 attempts for a .467 hitting percentage, adding a solo block for 10.0 total points. The match marks her third time with over a .400 hitting percentage this season.
» AshleeKay Christensen recorded nine kills on 22 attempts (.409) and a team-high 10 digs — a 2026 season high by a margin of three.
» Azra Eriç hit .556 (five kills, nine attempts) and led the match with three service aces while pacing EMU with 2.0 total blocks. Eriç has recorded at least three service aces in five matches this season.
» Surabhi Srinivasan recorded a match-high 15 digs, adding six assists and two service aces. Her career dig total is now at 810.
» Kaylin Richter distributed a team-high 16 assists — a new career high at Eastern Michigan — and added six digs.
» EMU recorded seven team service aces on the night, making it the sixth match of the season with seven or more aces as a team.
» The Eagles out-blocked Central Michigan 4.0 to 0.0; the Chippewas did not record a single block in the match.
» The win snapped a four-match losing streak for Eastern, which had dropped consecutive matches to UAB, Oakland, Michigan and Cornell entering Tuesday.
» Head coach Kevin Foeman improved to 38-66 at Eastern Michigan and 191-155 for his career with the victory.
Historical Notes
» Eastern Michigan improved to 33-71 all-time against Central Michigan University in the series' 104th meeting. The series dates to Oct. 9, 1976.
» EMU improved to 24-21 all-time in MAC conference openers with the victory.
» The .394 team hitting percentage is only the third time since 2012 that EMU has hit .394 or better in a single match, joining a .430 effort against Norfolk State on Sept. 7, 2018, and a .424 performance against Purdue Fort Wayne on Sept. 4, 2025. The .394 mark is the ninth-best single-match total in program history adn the second-best against a MAC team, narrowly behind a .395 showing at Kent State, Nov. 5, 2005.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan returns home to host Ohio University Friday, Sept. 25, in Ypsilanti, Mich., 4 p.m. in the Eagles' first home MAC contest of the 2026 season.
Follow Us
Follow Eastern Michigan volleyball on social media at @EMUVolleyball and follow EMU Athletics at @EMUAthletics for the latest news, updates and highlights throughout the 2026 season.
Three Eagles reached nine or more kills on the night, led by Nattie Slusher (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton), who paced Eastern Michigan with 10 kills on 25 attempts and a .320 hitting percentage. Haley Trosky (Pittsburgh, Pa./West Allegheny) was razor-sharp offensively, connecting on nine kills on just 15 swings for a .467 clip, while AshleeKay Christensen (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle) matched Trosky's nine kills. Azra Eriç (Istanbul, Turkey/Kadir Has Anadolu lisesi/Robert Morris) was the most efficient attacker on the floor, hitting .556 on nine attempts while leading the match with three service aces and pacing EMU with 2.0 total blocks.
Surabhi Srinivasan (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) anchored the back row with a match-high 15 digs and added six assists and two aces. Setting duties were shared between Kaylin Richter (Temperance, Mich./Bedford), who distributed a career-high 16 assists, and Lina Govoni (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West), who added 13 assists and five digs.
How It Happened
SET ONE | Eastern Michigan came out composed and in control, with Eriç igniting the Eagles immediately by firing back-to-back service aces to open the set. The balanced attack — with Slusher, Trosky and Christensen all finding rhythm early — kept the Chippewas' defense scrambling. EMU closed the opener on a 4-0 run that featured a Srinivasan ace and kills from Trosky, Richter and Eriç, forcing CMU to burn a timeout before the final point was played. Eastern took the set, 25-20.
SET TWO | The Eagles turned up the pressure in the second set, holding Central Michigan to just 14 points in the most dominant frame of the night. Mia Schaefer (Willoughby, Ohio/Lake Catholic/Niagara) sparked a critical momentum shift with back-to-back service aces that forced a CMU timeout, and Richter and Govoni orchestrated the offense efficiently, setting up a steady stream of kills from the front row. EMU finished on a dominant 4-0 closing run to pull away decisively, 25-14.
SET THREE | Eastern maintained its momentum and never allowed Central Michigan back into the match. Eriç again led the early charge with a service ace and a kill to give EMU the initiative from the opening rally. EMU built a decisive lead and sealed the sweep with a closing 4-0 run featuring two Eriç kills, completing the 3-0 road sweep and opening MAC play at 1-0.
Match Notes
» Eastern Michigan improved to 7-6 overall and 1-0 in MAC play with the victory.
» EMU's .394 team hitting percentage was a 2026 season high, surpassing the previous mark of .284 set against Elon on Sept. 5.
» The Eagles committed just four attack errors — a 2026 season low, shattering the previous low of 13 set against Robert Morris on Sept. 4.
» Nattie Slusher led EMU with 10 kills on 25 attempts (.320), adding 1.0 block and 2 digs for 10.5 total points. This was the seventh match of the season scoring double-digit kills.
» Haley Trosky posted nine kills on 15 attempts for a .467 hitting percentage, adding a solo block for 10.0 total points. The match marks her third time with over a .400 hitting percentage this season.
» AshleeKay Christensen recorded nine kills on 22 attempts (.409) and a team-high 10 digs — a 2026 season high by a margin of three.
» Azra Eriç hit .556 (five kills, nine attempts) and led the match with three service aces while pacing EMU with 2.0 total blocks. Eriç has recorded at least three service aces in five matches this season.
» Surabhi Srinivasan recorded a match-high 15 digs, adding six assists and two service aces. Her career dig total is now at 810.
» Kaylin Richter distributed a team-high 16 assists — a new career high at Eastern Michigan — and added six digs.
» EMU recorded seven team service aces on the night, making it the sixth match of the season with seven or more aces as a team.
» The Eagles out-blocked Central Michigan 4.0 to 0.0; the Chippewas did not record a single block in the match.
» The win snapped a four-match losing streak for Eastern, which had dropped consecutive matches to UAB, Oakland, Michigan and Cornell entering Tuesday.
» Head coach Kevin Foeman improved to 38-66 at Eastern Michigan and 191-155 for his career with the victory.
Historical Notes
» Eastern Michigan improved to 33-71 all-time against Central Michigan University in the series' 104th meeting. The series dates to Oct. 9, 1976.
» EMU improved to 24-21 all-time in MAC conference openers with the victory.
» The .394 team hitting percentage is only the third time since 2012 that EMU has hit .394 or better in a single match, joining a .430 effort against Norfolk State on Sept. 7, 2018, and a .424 performance against Purdue Fort Wayne on Sept. 4, 2025. The .394 mark is the ninth-best single-match total in program history adn the second-best against a MAC team, narrowly behind a .395 showing at Kent State, Nov. 5, 2005.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan returns home to host Ohio University Friday, Sept. 25, in Ypsilanti, Mich., 4 p.m. in the Eagles' first home MAC contest of the 2026 season.
Follow Us
Follow Eastern Michigan volleyball on social media at @EMUVolleyball and follow EMU Athletics at @EMUAthletics for the latest news, updates and highlights throughout the 2026 season.
Players Mentioned
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/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
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/ Volleyball
S/DS
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
EMU
CMU
Kills
41
32
Errors
4
18
Attempts
94
100
Hitting %
.394
.140
Points
52.0
39.0
Assists
38
31
Aces
7
7
Blocks
4
0
Game Leaders
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
5
Aces
3
Blocks
2
Monday, September 07
Monday, September 07
Saturday, September 05
Thursday, September 03