CMU volleyball team loses at Ohio, Olson pleased with play
It was a tough loss Saturday night for the Central Michigan volleyball team against three-time defending Mid-American Conference champions Ohio.
Head coach Erik Olson thought this was one of his team’s best matches, despite the loss.
“All in all I was pretty pleased with how we played,” Olson said. “If we win game one, we win that match in three instead of losing in five.”
The Chippewas had to deal with a big hole in their lineup without senior middle blocker Kaitlyn Schultz, who was out with an injury that was discovered after the game Thursday at Eastern Michigan.
“We had a practice Friday and put together the best possible lineup we could,” Olson said. “We missed our three-time All-MAC player and you got to know deep down that could’ve been a difference maker.”
Olson decided to move junior Jocelyn VerVelde to the middle and put junior Val DeWeerd on the right side with Schultz out.
Another game changer came late in game five when sophomore setter Kelly Maxwell was forced to take herself out of the match after feeling light headed and had trouble staying up.
“She had the maturity to say that she had to come out and wasn’t helping the team,” Olson said. “That is hard for a kid to do and I tip my hat off to her, she was being a team player.”
CMU was good in almost every aspect of the game. It hit well, dug well, passed well and blocked well.
Junior outside hitter Lindsey Dulude was the most consistent on offense, recording 18 kills and a hitting average of .405. She also came away with 16 digs and an ace.
“I was aggressive the whole night and I had a really good connection with Kelly (Maxwell)," Dulude said.
She wasn’t the only one with a good night. Freshman outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre had 24 kills on 69 swings and could have had a lot more if not for the Bobcats strong blocking.
Sophomore libero Jenna Coates was all over the court, leading the team with 27 of the team’s 82 digs.
“We learned a lot from this match,” Dulude said. “It was a positive loss.”
