Volleyball Broncos win MAC championship

Nov. 17, 2008

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University's volleyball team clinched the Mid-American Conference championship Saturday with a 3-1 win at Toledo and advanced to the MAC tournament as the No. 1 seed.

The volleyball Broncos won their first conference championship since 2000 with a league-best 14-2 record in MAC play. WMU is 23-4 overall. In volleyball and several other sports, the team with the best regular season record is the conference champ. The team that wins the league tournament earns the MAC's automatic berth in the NCAA national tournament.

The MAC tournament starts Tuesday with first-round matches on the home court of the higher seeded teams. The top four seeds receive first-round byes. They are, in order, WMU, Ohio, Miami and Central Michigan.

Friday, Nov. 21, at 4:30 p.m., Western will play the winner of Tuesday's match between eighth-seeded Toledo and ninth-seeded Akron. If successful, the Broncos will play in a semi-final match at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, in which their likely opponent would be either Central Michigan or Bowling Green. The tournament final begins at 3 p.m. Sunday. Weekend tournament matches will be played at the SeaGate Center in Toledo, Ohio.

"The championship is really great, but it is just the first step for us," WMU coach Colleen Munson said. "Now, we have another whole set of goals, which includes winning the [MAC] tournament and going to the NCAA tournament."

Quoted in the Kalamazoo Gazette, outside hitter Michelle Moore echoed her coach's feelings.

"Now, we have to get ready for the tournament and come with the same intensity and work harder to achieve that next point," she said.

WMU last advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2000. Overall, the Broncos have gone to volleyball's Big Dance nine times, including eight straight appearances from 1982 to 1989.

Visit wmubroncos.com or mac-sports.com for more information. Tickets for weekend tournament matches can be purchased at the SeaGate Center or online through TicketMaster. Single-match tickets are $11 and $7 for students. All-match tournament passes are $26 and $16 for students.

Media contact: Thom Myers (269) 387-4800, thom.myers@wmich.edu

Adapted from www.wmich.edu/wmu/news