Box Score

ASHLAND, Ohio -- The Wayne State University volleyball team (5-5, 2-0) completed the weekend sweep with a 3-2 win at Ashland (7-3, 1-1) on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors took set one 25-21 and set two 25-20. The Eagles responded by winning the next two sets, 25-19 and 25-22, forcing a fifth-set tiebreaker. WSU was able to stop the Ashland comeback and take set five, 15-10.

The Warriors started last season with seven consecutive victories to begin GLIAC play.

WSU started fast to open the match and led 4-1 following an Ashland attack error. The Eagles took a 10-8 lead after a 4-1 run. The Green & Gold took the next six points to go on top, 14-10. WSU was the first team to 20 following a Kelsey Bonewits (Griffith, Ind.) kill to give the Warriors a 20-15 advantage. Late in the set, Ashland would pull within two at 22-20 before WSU secured the 25-21 victory on a kill from Essence Jackson-Jones (Muskegon, Mich.).

Wayne State led 10-7 to begin the second set and extended its lead to 15-10 on a Heather Weiss (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron) kill. The set ended with an Ashland attack error to give WSU a 25-20 victory and a 2-0 match lead.

Ashland responded in the third set. However, WSU would jump out to an 11-7 lead after a Kristen Bulkiewicz (LaSalle, Ont. / Sandwich) kill. The kill from the senior co-captain snapped a 9-0 Eagle run. Ashland took a 20-18 lead and would cruise to a 25-19 set-three victory to avoid the sweep.

The Eagles would win the fourth set 25-22. WSU led 15-13 and 20-19 before Ashland gained control of the set to force a fifth-set tiebreaker.

Similar to the previous four sets, the fifth set was a back-and-forth affair. The set was tied 9-9 before the Warriors would find a rhythm. Fittingly, Bulkiewicz ended the set with a kill, her 23rd kill of the day, to give WSU a 15-10 win.

Bulkiewicz collected her third consecutive and 26th career double-double with 23 kills and 20 digs. With her 23 kills she now has 1,044 careers kills, which is just 12 shy of 10th all-time in program history.

Madison Reeves (Indianapolis, Ind. / Avon) paced the offense with 43 assists. Macy Steenhuysen (Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Kentwood) collected 31 digs while Carlee Hunt (Waterford, Mich. / Walled Lake Northern) added 14 digs. As a team, WSU hit .126 compared to Ashland's .098 hitting percentage. The Warriors tallied 10 total team blocks.

WSU will stay on the road next weekend with Saginaw Valley on Friday at 7 PM and Lake Superior on Saturday at 2 PM.