Volleyball splits weekend with a pair of four-set matches
After winning Friday’s game with an impressive offensive effort against Miami (Ohio), volleyball traveled to Bowling Green to try to keep up its winning ways.
It was not in the cards for CMU, as it dropped the match 3-1 to the Falcons, 17-25, 19-25, 25-23 and 10-25.
Senior libero Jenna Coates collected 22 digs in her team’s losing effort, while junior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre had 13 digs of her own, to go with 14 kills.
It was a different story Friday night, when the Chippewas beat the RedHawks in four sets.
For the second straight week, senior outside hitter Katie Schuette helped CMU win its first game of the weekend, leading the team in kills.
“I thought Schuette was very aggressive in set three and that changed the match around for us,” said head coach Erik Olson to CMU Athletics. “When Schuette’s playing great, we’re a very good team.”
Schuette and junior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre had 15 kills in the Chippewas 3-1 victory. Schuette eclipsed her career-high in kills, which was 13 in a 2010 match against Northern Illinois. She’s recorded 12 kills twice this season.
Friday’s match was the first time CMU has won a match in which it lost a set since Sept.7, when it beat Robert Morris 3-2.
The regular veterans played to form, as Coates recorded 24 digs and senior setter Kelly Maxwell had 43 assists.
“Kelly did a great job distributing the ball and put up some great numbers once again,” Olson said to CMU Athletics. “She also had 10 digs. I thought Coates was outstanding with 24 digs. Coates made some great reads and was almost digging half the court tonight.”
With the loss to Bowling Green coming right after a dominating victory against Miami, this weekend is a good representation of the Chippewas season thus far.
Head coach Erik Olson and his coaching staff will look for answers next weekend in McGuirk Arena, where they will be playing Buffalo at 7 p.m. Friday and Akron at 7 p.m. Saturday.
