The Western Michigan Broncos squared off against the Auburn Tigers in their first round of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Playoffs. The Broncos claimed a massive victory over the Tigers to qualify for the next round of playoffs and inch closer to the NCAA Championship.

The Broncos entered the match with a regular season record of 30-2. However, they were the underdogs in this match. Unfortunately for the Auburn Tigers, their 2023 postseason journey lasted for just one match. In fact, the Broncos stomped the Tigers down with a clean sweep,

Western Michigan Broncos trample over the NCAA Championship hopes of Auburn

On 30th November, the Western Michigan Broncos dominated their fixture against Auburn right from the get-go. Showcasing a brilliant offensive and defensive output, the Broncos instantly seized the first two sets in the NCAA first-round opener. WMU Volleyball tweeted about the triumph of its team on its official X account.

The tweet carried the caption, “THE BRONCOS ARE MOVING ON!!! Western Michigan takes down No. 7 Auburn in straights to advance to the second round of the @NCAAVolleyball Championship!” The Broncos didn’t allow the Tigers to surpass the 20-point mark in any of the three sets. 

Western Michigan players had subdued Auburn to 18 and then 17 points in the first and the second sets. Eventually, Auburn fell in the third set at 19 points as the WMU Broncos won their NCAA first-round opener. Nobody had expected WMU to eliminate Auburn in the very first playoff round. In fact, this was the first postseason victory the Broncos registered since 2008.

Winning the first playoff in 15 years while in a revenge match

The Auburn Tigers had previously defeated the WMU Broncos in their lone face-off in 2019. While the Tigers had defeated the Broncos back then with a clean sweep, WMU returned the favor with their recent win. Moreover, this win carries even more significance since this was WMU’s first postseason victory in 15 long years.

The X-factor in the gameplay of the Broncos that constantly pressured Auburn was the scorching service aces landed by WMU. The women of Western Michigan bombarded the opposite side of the court with 11 service aces that continuously attacked the morale of Auburn.

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Maggie King and Anna Calcagno of the Broncos led the offensive charge in the NCAA postseason opener for their team. Both players scored 14 kills while being assisted by the playmaker queen Logan Case, who made a whopping 44 assists for the win. Will the Broncos be able to carry this vigor forward and steal the NCAA Championship from the other powerhouse teams in the tournament?

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