COLUMN: Volleyball demonstrates ‘team-first’ mentality during weekend sweep
The Central Michigan volleyball team could not play for its head coach this weekend, so they decided to play for each other.
The Chippewas used a team effort in two matches to defeat Ball State in four sets on Friday and sweep Toledo on Saturday at McGuirk Arena.
With Head Coach Erik Olson being placed on a paid leave of absence Oct. 6 due to undisclosed reasons, giant question marks were left on the future of the program.
CMU provided some answers this weekend. The Chippewas’ youth, talent and game plan meshed together to get them two victories in solid fashion.
A total of 848 fans filed into McGuirk Arena this weekend to see the Chippewas sweep a weekend in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since Oct. 25-26, 2013.
The coaching situation could have been a distraction. This team could have given up.
They didn’t.
On Friday, the team used 16 kills from sophomore outside hitter Jordan Bueter to beat Ball State, who came into the weekend with a 3-1 MAC record. She averaged 12 kills per match throughout the weekend and is clearly the team’s on-court leader.
On the sideline, the team was led by Olson’s assistants Theresa Beeckman, Adam Rollman and Kelly Maxwell. The three collectively put together a game plan to help down the Cardinals and Rockets.
The coaches made decisions that Olson abandoned. Olson benched junior setter Kathia Sanchez during the end of a loss to Kent State on Oct. 3, but the coaching staff decided to let Sanchez play all of this weekend. She responded with a combined 64 assists.
They also decided to maintain a veteran presence as they started three upperclassmen in the starting lineup.
Along with Sanchez, senior middle blocker Angie White stood out with eight kills in each match. Fellow veteran middle blocker Kalle Mulford had 11 kills this weekend including four in a crucial fourth set against Ball State.
The team also utilized freshman serving specialist Laura Willson. Willson, who had only played in four sets during MAC play before Friday, played in all seven sets this weekend. She tallied a team-leading three aces against Toledo.
Eleven players took the court this weekend for CMU, while four freshmen cheered on their teammates.
This team is talented and has several players who can fill different roles. One thing that stands out about this team more than its talent and depth is its attitude.
The Chippewas have always had a team first motto. White has said this team loves adversity and Bueter wants to have fun when her team steps on the court.
This weekend, they overcame adversity. They had fun. They played as a team.
Olson could return to the sidelines this season. Nothing would change. One coach does not make a team. A team makes a team. Beeckman said that everyone, from the coaches, trainers and players, make up the team.
CMU faced a second-ranked team in the division in Ball State and last-place Toledo, so the different levels of competition make it difficult to determine where this team is. But make no question about it, they played as a team.
This team has a lot to prove, especially with visits to Miami (Ohio) (12-7, 4-2 MAC) and Bowling Green (5-14, 1-5 MAC) next weekend. They are not even halfway through the MAC regular season and are still a below-.500 team (8-11, 3-3 MAC).
But no matter what happens, the Chippewas are going to take the court, and they are going to play as a team.
