CMU volleyball clips Eagles wings, starts MAC play 3-0
Central Michigan volleyball took down the Eastern Michigan Eagles in straight sets to win its third straight as it reaches the halfway point of the season. With an overall record of 12-3 and a MAC record of 3-0, CMU seems to be finding its groove.
“We never lose our confidence, we don’t stop pushing, we don’t go blank in the face,”redshirt junior middle blocker/outside hitter Abby Olin said. “We’re always making eye contact with each other, cheering each other on, smiling, making sure we’re keeping our heads in the game, and never letting our chins fall.”
The Chippewas got out to a strong start as they took set one 25-19.
After being tied at 18, they used a 7-2 run to take set two 25-20. Set three was dominated by the Chippewas as they led from start to finish 25-15.
Junior outside hitter Natalia Rejment and junior setter Allie Korba once again led the offensive attack with Rejment’s nine kills and Korba’s 33 assists.
“I feel like she’s (Korba) a setter for us that's really set the tone for us, had to step up with an injury to Keelyn, and she’s really embraced it and handled the moment well,” head coach Mike Gawlik said.
The defense was anchored by freshman defensive specialist Hannah Langton’s 16 digs. Along with four blocks apiece from the three-headed terror, senior opposite Krystina Kasson, freshman middle blocker Grace Thomas, and Abby Olin.
The Chippewas have really cut down the errors to start conference play as they only recorded eight attack errors and 10 service errors.
“When we were playing against Eastern Kentucky, and we had 38 attack errors in five sets, you go back to the drawing board like, we’re giving away so many free points,” Gawlik said. "That's the only way that we feel vulnerable at times is by giving away free points, we had 16 last weekend, and it didn’t feel like we were incredibly high error today.
"Since we’re good defensively, it doesn’t make sense for us to be high-risk attacking, and taking the chance of giving away free points, we feel like the more the ball is in play the more advantage we have within a rally.”
They also hit at .303 while holding EMU to a .092 hitting percentage.
“We’ve played really consistent and clean volleyball, we’re low error,” Gawlik said. “This is the third match in a row that we hit .300, and you’re gonna win a lot of matches when you hit .300.”
Halfway through the season and the team is really starting to fire on all cylinders. The Chippewas currently sit in first place in the Mid-American Conference standings.
“I really think that the sum of our parts is really good,” said Gawlik. “I don’t think it's one single person. I feel like it's almost a disservice to say one single person, but that's the beauty of this whole thing is that we can lean on multiple people.”
As Central Michigan enters the back half of the season, the team looks to stay hot as it continues its push for the tournament.
“A lot of championships are lost in October,” Gawlik said. “Because it's tough, the days are getting shorter, and it's getting chillier, and midterms, and the novelty of playing volleyball kind of wears off. We’re in week eight, and it's a grind at this point, the teams that stay in that grind and are committed to getting better on a daily basis are the teams that are still standing in late October, November.”
CMU stays home this weekend and puts its undefeated MAC record on the line against the Ball State Cardinals in a two-game series that starts Friday at 6 p.m.
