Preview: CMU Volleyball welcomes new and old faces
Editor's note: This story was edited to correct the location of the Sept 25 and 26 SEMO Invitational. The tournament took place in Missouri.
Central Michigan volleyball swept Northern Michigan, 3-0, in an Aug. 19 exhibition match on Mackinac Island, to start off the 2023 season. This year the Chippewas are saying hello to a few new faces and welcoming back returning players.
“It’s a really interesting squad that we have, because we don’t have a single freshman on our roster right now,” Head Coach Mike Gawlik said. “We brought in four transfers … and with all our athletes all having gone through this at the collegiate level ... there’s that understanding, I think, of what preseason is for everybody on our roster.”
Among those new transfers are a graduate student and outside hitter Devon Bright, who previously hailed from Nicholls State.
“She’s adjusting to a pretty new system for her, but she brings a real joy to playing the game that is important to have in the gym,” Gawlik said.
In the middle of the court, CMU will have libero/defensive specialist Emma Dukate from West Virginia University; middle blocker/outside hitter Abby Olin, previously from Michigan State; defensive specialist/libero Aline Anderson and middle blocker Brooklyn Conner from Clemson.
While the Chippewas welcome in new faces, they also welcome back some returning players that are looking to step into new roles this season.
“On the right side, we’ve got (juniors) Krystina Kasson and Linnea Willer,” Gawlik said. “They both really blossomed playing a year under Mallory Hernandez (former CMU volleyball player).
“Playing on the right side a year ago ... has really helped them kind of become even more aggressive and think of themselves like point scorers, like Mallory was for us ... That’s been a really great growth moment for both of them.”
After losing Anna Erickson, Maddie Whitfield and Hernandez last year due to graduation, the Chippewas have one returning captain.
“From a leadership perspective, we have ... Linnea Willer, who was a captain for us a year ago,” Gawlik said. “Aly Gurtiza is a libero steeping into another leadership role, and I think we want to hear her more and more as a staple in our defensive side of the ball.”
Last season Gurtiza broke the single season record for digs ending the season with 637.
Gawlik is also looking forward to players who were injured last year being able to come back healthy and contribute to the team.
“We got Austyn DeWesse who’s been out for about a year and a half and is starting to work back into our practice,” he said.
CMU ended its 2022 season getting swept in the NIVC tournament, and finishing the season with a 20-12 overall record and 12-6 in conference play. Winning is the goal this season, but Gawlik has additional ideas in mind for the team.
“The one that I pitched to the team, and I think it’s our goal now (is) I want to be better on Mondays and Tuesdays,” Gawlik said. “... a year ago we were capable of big things on Friday and Saturday. I said ‘if we can really focus on Mondays and Tuesdays being a day that we’re getting better as opposed to a day that we’re just kind of plateauing we’re gonna grow throughout the year.’”
The Chippewas exhibition match on Mackinaw Island has become a tradition that started a year ago and is very well-liked by the CMU squad.
“Last year we had a really great experience,” Gawlik said. “The island was so great to us and everybody. We connected with some donors up there and we connected with some fans up there, and it’s something we want to do every year now.”
The Chippewas headed to Missouri for the SEMO invitational, Aug. 25 and 26, and will play on home hardwood Sept. 1 and 2 in the Chippewa Invitational.
