CMU goes for fifth win in a row against EMU
The CMU volleyball team will have a short turnaround this week when it hosts Eastern Michigan at 7 p.m. Thursday in Finch Fieldhouse.
At 18-6 and 8-2 in the Mid-American Conference, EMU sits tied for second in the West Division.
Riding a four-game winning streak, the Chippewas took two impressive road victories against Akron and Buffalo last weekend. They hope to keep the strong defensive effort up against EMU on Thursday. While the last four wins were good for the program, head coach Erik Olson considers this game crucial in the program’s direction.
“(Last weekend) was an important weekend for us being on the road,” Olson said. “But a big win on Thursday night would say a lot about what’s going on here.”
The first meeting between the two teams, held on Sept. 23 in Ypsilanti, saw the team lose 3-2 against the Eagles and signal the beginning of a tough start to the conference schedule. In the match, the team committed 12 serving errors and had just three aces.
Like he’s preached the last two weeks, Olson said serving will be key if the team wants to stay away from a fifth set. As he’s said the past few weeks, Olson said serving will be key Thursday if it wants to keep the momentum going.
“I looked at what our decisions were and where we worked on the court and we played right into their strengths,” Olson said. “So we hope to exploit their weaknesses much better this time.”
CMU will look to combat these issues by strong play from senior Lauren Krupsky and sophomore Lindsey Dulude. Krupsky currently paces the team with a 3.49 kills per set average. Dulude has also performed solidly over the winning streak with a .39 ace per game average. Dulude currently ranks fourth in the conference in aces per game.
Player of the Week
Junior blocker Kaitlyn Schultz will also play a key role against the Eagles. Schultz was named MAC Player of the Week for the second consecutive week following her 4.43 kills per set average and .600 hitting percentage over the weekend.She also added 31 kills.
Conversely, the Eagles will look to their sophomore outside hitter Rachel Iaquaniello, who leads the team with an average of 3.94 kills per set and marked 20 kills in the previous match against CMU. EMU had three players record double-figure kills in the Sept. 23 match, with Paige Roback and Jenn Swartz netting 14 and 11 kills, respectively.
Olson said the momentum from the pair of road wins and returning home, where his team will play three of their next four games, should help give his team a boost.
“I would like to have a home court advantage and have our student population come out and see a great match,” Olson said. “I think it would be quite a statement for us if we knock them off.”
