HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison volleyball picked up 16 blocks in a four-set win over Western Michigan on Sunday afternoon inside the Convocation Center.

JMU lost the first set 20-25 but responded with 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 wins to improve to 5-3 and finish the weekend 3-0, while Western Michigan fell to 4-5. The Dukes finished with 51.0 blocks (3.64/set) in their three matches this weekend.

Melisa Ilter keyed the JMU defense, as the redshirt sophomore set career-highs in kills (10) and block assists (9), nearly recording the first double-double of her career. Freshman Ayen Nhial recorded a career-high 10 blocks as the Dukes held Western Michigan to a .122 hitting percentage.

Jaydyn Clemmer also registered a season-high 25 digs in the back row, with Grace Wenrich (12) and Rebecca Watkins (10) joining her in double figures. Miëtte Veldman led the Dukes in kills (13), with Brenya Reid also picking up nine.

How It Happened
First Set: Western Michigan 25-20
• Western Michigan forced the first timeout of the set, scoring four straight to take a 10-6 lead.
• Reeghan Boyer aced JMU to make the score 17-11 and make the Dukes call another timeout.
• The Broncos kept JMU at bay for the rest of the set, as a kill from Madison Merz gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Second Set: James Madison 25-22
• WMU jumped ahead 4-1 but the momentum swung, with the Dukes taking a 10-7 lead on a block from Ilter and Ayen Nhial.
• With the set tied 17-17, a Broncos’ attacking error and an ace from Julia McNeley keyed the start of a JMU rally.
• The Dukes pushed their lead to four (24-20) and evened the match at 1-1 on a kill from Olivia Vance.

Third Set: James Madison 25-21
• It was all Western Michigan early as the visitors raced out to a 9-2 lead on a service ace.
• JMU clawed back into the set and used a 9-0 run to gain control, keyed by four blocks from Nhial and Ilter.
• The Broncos cut the Dukes’ lead to one point (21-20), but JMU scored four of the last five points of the set to move ahead 2-1.
• Kills from Reid, Veldman, and Sarah Schnell ended the set.
Fourth Set: James Madison 25-22
• The Dukes scored the first four points of the set to gain an early lead.
• A kill from WMU’s Mary Clare Brusek cut the lead to 15-14, but a 4-0 run for JMU forced a Broncos’ timeout.
• WMU cut its deficit to two (22-20), but the Dukes put away the Broncos, finishing things off with a block from Smith and Rebecca Watkins.
Match Notes
• The win over Western Michigan marked JMU’s second consecutive win against teams that competed in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship after defeating High Point last night.
• Freshman Ayen Nhial, who made her JMU debut against High Point on Saturday, finished with 18.0 blocks in just nine sets (2.0/set).
• Through three weeks and eight matches, the Dukes are averaging 2.78 blocks per set, 25th in the country and first in the Sun Belt.
• Jaydyn Clemmer recorded a season-high 25 digs, pushing her 2024 total to 119 (3.36/set). Clemmer now sits at 1,134 digs in her career.

Erie Insurance Invitational All-Tournament Team
Melisa Ilter (OH) – James Madison
Annie Smith (MB) – James Madison
Madison Merz – Western Michigan
Logan Case – Western Michigan
Ava McInnes – UC San Diego
Dylan Maberry – High Point

Up Next
JMU will travel to Happy Valley for a pair of matches on the campus of Penn State. The Dukes will take on the Nittany Lions on Friday, Sept. 20, and play Yale on Saturday, Sept. 21.

— JMU Athletics —