Volleyball suffers two three-set losses
After a strong showing to start the Bradley Invitational, narrow margins hurt Central Michigan volleyball in a pair of straight-sets losses to DePaul and Southeast Missouri State Saturday.
CMU falls to 1-2 on the season.
“Obviously we’re disappointed about losing,” said head coach Mike Gawlik “Of the six sets that we played today, we lost five of them by three-points or less. I think there’s still a lot of good in what we were able to do today, but we’ve got to find a way to flip some of those plays down the stretch.”
Match One
From the opening serve, the Chippewas found themselves locked in a back-and-forth battle against DePaul. Holding onto a one-point lead, CMU’s defense stood steadfast against the DePaul attack. However, 11 attacking errors during set one plagued the Chippewas.
CMU turned up the physicality to open the second set for an early 3-0 lead. Through tremendous defensive effort, the Chippewas clung onto a one-point advantage as DePaul made its move. Although CMU managed to knot the score up at 11, the Blue Demons found themselves up by five, looking to take a 2-0 lead in the match. The Chippewas rally ultimately fell short as DePaul clinched the second set 25-23.
Set three started out all Chippewas, opening a lead as high as five-points. Attempting to stop the CMU run, DePaul was forced to take consecutive timeouts. This strategy paid off, as DePaul racked up 10-consecutive points, securing a 25-20 win in the third set.
Match Two
Looking to bounce back from the DePaul loss, CMU quickly jumped ahead 4-1 on Southeast Missouri State to open the first set. The Redhawks attempted to mount a comeback, but the Chippewa lead ballooned to six-points. SEMO slowly fought its way back into the contest, as CMU stared at set point, but the Redhawks rattled off four-straight points to claim set one 26-24.
The second set mirrored the first with CMU once again pouncing on the Redhawks early to establish a lead. The Chippewa offense continued to pour it on, increasing the margin to six and forcing a Redhawks timeout. Coming out of the break, the CMU lead quickly evaporated as the teams found themselves locked in a heated battle as the set wound down. The Redhawks weathered the storm to secure the second set 25-22.
With their backs against the wall, the Chippewas looked to bounce back in the third set. CMU quickly found themselves ahead by two-points, though that was the largest margin either team would manage as they battled to a 15-15 tie. After a quick substitution, SEMO took their first substantial lead of the set, forcing a Chippewa timeout. CMU stormed out of the break, cutting the Redhawk lead to one, but it wasn’t enough as SEMO secured the third set and the match 25-22.
What’s Next
The Chippewas will return to the McGuirk Arena on Friday, Sept. 3, kicking off the Chippewa Invitational with a double-header. CMU will face North Dakota at 12:30 p.m. followed by Butler at 7:30 p.m.
