Volleyball finishes 0-3 at Omaha Classic
It was a tough trip to the Omaha Classic this weekend for the Central Michigan University volleyball team as the Chippewas struggled and landed at an 0-3 record during the tournament.
“The story is inconsistency,” coach Erik Olson said. “We were very predictable, and we didn’t make it hard for them. I’m very hopeful that the team will lock in on what the standard is.”
Friday's results:
In the first match of the tournament, CMU fell to Nebraska-Omaha in four sets, 3-1. The Mavericks were led by junior Kelley Wollak who tallied 11 kills.
Saturday's results:
The Chippewas were defeated by the University of Missouri Kansas City in three straight sets 25-23, 25-22 and 25-16.
In CMU's final match of the tournament, CMU kept a match against Drake University close, but eventually fell in five sets. Both teams traded wins in the first four sets. The Chippewas led 14-11 in the deciding set, but lost the lead and eventually the match, 20-18.
“We got a lot better in our last match,” Olson said. “We had to fight through a lot of adversity, and we handled the adversity very well. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out with the win. I was very pleased with our competitive work ethic, and we were very close to winning that last match.”
After spraining her ankle, freshman Jordan Bueter of CMU was named to the All-Tournament team tallying 36 kills and 30 digs through the weekend.
“(Bueter's) numbers were pretty outstanding throughout the weekend,” Olson said. “She stayed up all night and took care of (her ankle) and was still able to perform at a very high level. She’s looking pretty good.”
CMU junior Kristen Reenders finished the tournament with a team-high 59 digs, including 30 in the final loss Drake.
“Reenders got better and better,” Olson said. “To reach that 30 dig mark in a match is huge. That’s not something you see very often.”
Despite failing to grab a win in the season opening tournament, Olson remains optimistic about his team.
“We kind of heated up as the tournament went,” he said. “This is a necessary weekend, and necessary steps to be a better team. We just have to keep working hard and get better every day.”
The Chippewas will host the Chippewa Invitational Friday, September 5.
