Chippewas swept by Western Michigan
The Central Michigan women's volleyball team dropped its second consecutive match Friday, losing in straight sets to rival Western Michigan at University Arena in Kalamazoo.
CMU lost 25-18, 25-15 and 25-23, the first time it has been swept since Aug. 28 against Purdue. The loss drops the Chippewas record back under .500 at 13-14 overall and 7-8 in the Mid-American Conference.
“Western made us really uncomfortable tonight and, as a result, it was a struggle for us," said head coach Erik Olson.
The first set remained close for the first half, but a kill by WMU's Ali Gossen broke a 14-14 tie. Sophomore Katie Schuette followed up with an attack error and Jenna Coates had a service ace, giving the Broncos a commanding 17-14 lead and set win.
After taking an early lead in set two, CMU would falter defensively. It committed three consecutive attack errors, allowing the Broncos to go on a 6-0 run. WMU added another 6-0 run later in the set, proving to be too much for the visiting Chippewas.
WMU's offense continued to hit on all cylinders in the third set, breaking an 8-8 tie with a 10-3 run to break open the set and match.
Sophomore Lindsey Dulude led CMU with 15 kills while junior Kaitlyn Schultz and senior Lauren Krupsky added nine and eight kills, respectively. WMU featured a balanced attack, with Jessica Brown (11) and Ashley Turnage (10) each recording double-digit kills.
Senior defensive specialist Lisa Johnson had a team-high 16 digs.
CMU concludes conference play at 8 p.m. Saturday against Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill.
“We have got another tough match tomorrow - it’s always an intense atmosphere," Olson said. “I expect a much better performance.”
