Volleyball faces rival Eastern, hosts Kent State
Central Michigan Volleyball team celebrates after they defeat the Toledo Rockets on Sept. 21 in the McGuirk Arena.
Following losses to Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, the Central Michigan volleyball team will attempt to return to .500 in the Mid-American Conference.
CMU (9-7, 1-3 MAC) travels to Eastern Michigan on Thursday before hosting Kent State on Saturday. Both matches begin at 7 p.m.
EMU (10-10, 2-2 MAC) defeated NIU 3-2 over the weekend prior to being defeated by WMU, 3-1. KSU (2-13, 0-4) has yet to win a conference game.
About the Chippewas
CMU is led by strong offensive play this season. The Chippewas rank in the top five in the MAC in major offensive statistical categories including hitting percentage, assists and kills.
Senior Jordan Bueter leads the entire conference averaging 4.27 kills per set.
Freshman setter Grace Butler ranks third in the MAC averaging 10.56 assists per set.
Central Michigan sits in the bottom half of the MAC in many defensive categories. The Chippewas rank ninth in opponent hitting percentage and eighth in digs.
Sophomore Megan Kern began the season at the libero position, but CMU has since turned to junior Emily Wenglikowski and senior Courtney Hiltibran.
EMU
The Eagles hosts Central Michigan for their 2017 Dig Pink match, an event that donates all its proceeds to the fight against breast cancer.
Central Michigan leads the all-time series 58-25, including wins in the last three matches.
Eastern Michigan is an exceptional defensive team, leading the MAC in blocks and is second in opponent hitting percentage.
Seniors Samantha Falco and Kelly Ferguson sit second and third in the conference in blocks, respectively.
Junior Alyssa LeFace is fifth in the MAC averaging 4.98 digs per set.
Kent State
After dropping two home matches over the weekend, the Golden Flashes are still searching for their first conference win of the season.
CMU has not defeated Kent State since the 2012 season.
The Golden Flashes have struggled both offensively and defensively, ranking 11th or last in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, assists, kills, blocks, and service aces.
Kent State's strength is in the back end of their defense. The team ranks third in the MAC in digs averaging 17.22 digs per set.
Senior Challen Geraghty is second in the MAC averaging 5.73 digs per set.
Despite the offensive struggles for the Golden Flashes, senior Kelsey Bittinger averages 3.78 kills per set, good for third in the conference.
