Volleyball misses MAC Tournament, reflects on experience gained
It was a season of great promise that ended with great disappointment.
The Central Michigan University volleyball team failed to reach the Mid-American Conference Tournament in 2014.
The Chippewas finished the year 10-18 overall and 5-11 in the MAC, good enough for ninth place, just one spot short of making the postseason tournament.
CMU started the season 0-6 and seemed to be on route to a disastrous year.
Bouncing back from the slow start, the women won six of their next seven matches including a five game-winning streak to seemingly right the ship and survive nonconference competition.
In MAC play, the women were unable to get the wins that mattered most. The Chippewas went 1-9 against teams that ended the season with winning records in 2014.
“The MAC is a tough conference to play in,” redshirt freshman Taylor Robertson said. “You have to bring it every night.”
At times, the Chippewas were the epitome of inconsistency.
The women failed to win back-to-back games all season and were 0-5 in matches preceding a win.
The Chippewas also often fell short in tightly contested matches.
CMU was 0-6 in matches that came down to the fifth and final set, including the crucial final two games of the season, which the Chippewa spent battling for the final MAC Tournament spot.
Head Coach Erik Olson said that the amount of young talent on the team was a large part of the team’s struggles this fall.
“We were young this year,” Olson said. “I wouldn’t say I expected the season to go this way, but I was not surprised that it did.”
The women will lose three seniors from this year’s squad, Kaitlyn McIntyre, Danielle Thompson and Hallie Enderle.
“We learned a lot from our seniors,” Robertson said. “They led us all year, and next year it’s going to be tough without them.”
Playing through a knee-injury midway through the season, McIntyre finished the season with 327 kills, the lowest total of her career.
“This year K-Mac learned how to be a more steady player,” Olson said.
Thompson split time with freshman setter Kylie Copple, finishing the year with 298 assists. With limited playing time, Enderle took on the role player position and tallied 111 kills and 25 digs.
With 11 returners next season, including four freshmen, Olson said he believes the struggles the team went through will pay off in the greater scheme of the program’s development.
“It’s not just youth,” he said. “Its first-time players and first time in their positions starting. You put all that together and you have those ups and downs and inconsistencies.”
Key returners for the women will be juniors Kristen Reenders, Angelique White, and freshman Jordan Bueter.
Reenders was a staple for the Chippewa's defense, finishing fourth in the MAC in total digs with 517, and fourth in digs per set, averaging 4.66.
“Reenders is one of the best defensive specialists in the MAC,” Olson said. “Going into her senior season, as she continues to get better, she will become more effective.”
White had a breakout season and was arguably the team’s most consistent player. She ended the year fifth in the conference in blocks with 1.06 per set.
“White became a star in terms of blocking,” Olson said. “She’s very athletic, and will have a great season next year.”
Copple emerged as a top notch setter in the MAC tallying 830 assists, good for 9.33 per set in just her first year in the maroon and gold.
For the young players on CMU’s roster, 2014 was a stepping stone.
“This season put a huge investment in experience on our players,” Olson said. “It’s probably the biggest investment we’ve ever had to make in our players.”
