Olson shakes off poll picking team to win MAC
The CMU women’s volleyball team faces uncharted waters this season when they open their schedule as the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference.
In the MAC preseason coaches’ poll released last week, the team was picked to win the MAC West Division and regular season conference title.
But despite the highest preseason ranking in head coach Erik Olson’s tenure with the program, Olson shakes off all of the hype the ranking brings.
He said he has limited the discussion of it with his players and does not feel it should be focused on as the team prepares for the 2010 season.
“It’s like it never happened and no one has even mentioned a word about it,” Olson said. “I purposely didn’t bring it up to the team because I wanted to see where their head was.”
One reason Olson has kept the ranking at arms length is because of any undue pressure that might beset his team.
The Chippewas’ previous highest preseason ranking came in 2004, when they were picked to finish second in the MAC West. The team went on to finish seventh with a 3-13 conference record, finishing 7-23 overall.
“You worry about that sometimes as a coach if there is extra pressure and all of that stuff,” Olson said. “But it seems to have not affected us in the slightest bit.”
Since the 2004 season, CMU finished higher in the standings, including a second place tie in the West last season.
Senior Lauren Krupsky said the ranking is a nice sentiment to the team’s ability, but at such an early stage in the season the team has much more to focus on than a projection.
“I think it is very flattering, but we just want to go out and prove it to everyone,” Krupsky said. “A ranking is a ranking but we just want to be able to show everybody.”
2010 MAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
West Division: 1. Central Michigan (7) 2. Western Michigan (5) 3. Northern Illinois 4. Toledo 5. Ball State 6. Eastern Michigan
East Division: 1. Ohio (10) 2. Miami (2) 3. Buffalo 4. Kent State 5. Bowling Green 6. Akron
MAC Regular Season Champion: Central Michigan (5). Also receiving votes: Ohio (3), Western Michigan (2) and Miami (2).
MAC Tournament Champion: Ohio (6). Also receiving votes: Central Michigan (2), Western Michigan (2) and Miami (2).
