CMU volleyball at full strength for weekend's matches
Almost every athletic team has injuries and the Central Michigan volleyball team fell into this category early in the season.
However, it hopes that injuries are past the team as players become healthy. It enters the second half of a four-game homestand that began last weekend with victories over Eastern Michigan and Kent State with a full roster.
The Chippewas play Ball State at 7 p.m. on Friday and Toledo at 7 p.m. on Saturday in McGuirk Arena.
“We’re able to work on our system and some little things on a daily basis,” said head coach Erik Olson. “We’re not just working on basic things and basic plays, its more finesse.”
Junior outside hitter Lindsey Dulude said having the team at full strength will help if the team starts to struggle during a match.
The Chippewas had problems putting together a full match last weekend. After starting slow against Eastern Michigan by losing the first two games of the match they came back to win in five. Then, after beating Kent State in the first two games, they fell in game four and struggled to win the match in four.
“That’s something we’ve been talking about,” Olson said. “I think the leadership has to take the bull by the horns and make sure it doesn’t happen.”
The Cardinals are on a six-game winning streak, not losing since Sept. 16 at Michigan State.
“They’re (Ball State) the returning regular season champions and they’re winning a lot of matches,” Olson said. “The biggest thing is that we have to break them.”
The Toledo Rockets are on the opposite trend of the Cardinals. The team lost both games at home last weekend. One against Western Michigan, the other against Northern Illinois.
“They’ve (Toledo) switched up a lot of positions,” Olson said. “They’ve played a tough schedule. They have played some giants and will not be intimidated.”
So far in the season, the Rockets have played Michigan State, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan and Texas A & M.
Both teams have their strengths that CMU must be prepared for.
“Toledo is a pretty good serving team and Ball State is just good,” Olson said. “This weekend has a lot to do with us. We need to pass a little bit better than last week and we need to continue to amp up our serves each week at a time.”
Confidence is not low on the Chippewas sideline as they go in expecting to win both matches.
“Our expectations are to go 2-0,” Dulude said. “We just need to play the best ball that we can.”
Despite playing a full schedule of men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling and gymnastics last winter, McGuirk Arena is making its official grand opening with this weekend’s matches.
This weekend it is breast cancer awareness on campus. All of the proceeds from Friday’s match against Ball State go to Dig Pink to help find a cure for cancer.
