Volleyball swept at Miami (Ohio)
The absence of multiple players hurt Central Michigan volleyball on Friday, as they went to Oxford, Ohio, for a battle with Miami, ultimately losing in straight sets.
The Chippewas fall to 9-13 on the season and 3-7 in the Mid-American Conference. The RedHawks improve their record to 4-16 and 2-8 in conference play.
“I’m pretty frustrated,” said head coach Mike Gawlik. “We didn’t really have momentum from point one. We let Miami get on a roll and they played a really clean match. We need to be far better (Saturday) to have the success we want to have.”
How it happened
The RedHawks quickly took control of the first set establishing a 15-11 lead. Following a timeout, the Chippewas struggled to keep pace with Miami as the lead increased. However, as the RedHawks neared set-point, senior outside hitter Savannah Thompson took over for CMU. Thompson buried her fourth kill of the set, drawing the Chippewas within two, but Miami rattled off the final four points to secure the first 25-19.
A raucous home crowd propelled Miami to a 14-7. Senior middle blocker Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez recorded back-to-back kills to bring the Chippewas closer. However, Miami responded and restored the margin. Although CMU rallied late, the RedHawks locked up the stanza 25-18.
CMU brought the heat in the third and took control early. However, after tying the set at seven, the RedHawks regained their momentum. Miami began to pull away, but Thompson kept the Chippewas close. Eventually, pushing CMU in front of the RedHawks with her seventh kill of the set. But after a challenge by Gawlik was shut down, Miami found a way to finish it off, sweeping the match with a 25-22 victory in set three.
Key Performers
Thompson led the way for CMU, finishing with 14 kills while carrying a .355 hitting percentage, in addition to 10 digs. Rosario-Martinez was close behind with nine kills on the night.
Senior setter Grace Butler finished with 22 assists and six digs. Sophomore setter Kamryn Olson added 12 assists.
Senior defensive specialist Hannah Warners started for injured freshman libero Aly Gurtiza and finished with 26 digs.
Key Stats
The Chippewas committed 24 attacking errors against three from Miami. The RedHawks finished with 11 total blocks.
What’s Next
The Chippewas face Miami (OH) at 5 p.m. Saturday.
