CMU volleyball splits pair with Ball State
Central Michigan volleyball hosted the Ball State Cardinals in a two-match series this past weekend at McGurick Arena. The Chippewas split the series to bring their overall record to 13-4, and their Mid-American Conference record to 4-1.
Match 1
In the first match of the weekend, CMU lost its first conference match of the season in five sets.
Set one was close the whole way, Central Michigan led, 22-19, late, but Ball State tied it after a 3-0 run. CMU briefly took a 23-22 lead, but the Cardinals used another 3-0 to win the set, 25-23, ending its win streak of nine straight sets.
The Chippewas quickly responded by winning set two, 25-17, leading by as much as nine at one point.
Set three looked promising for CMU, using a 6-0 run to jump out to an 11-6 lead. It would be short-lived, as the Cardinals later used an 8-0 run to take the lead, and eventually, they would go on to win the set, 25-22.
Central Michigan was not ready to just lay down and quit though. It used a 5-0 run to gain an early 11-5 lead, but Ball State later used a 5-0 run of its own to pull within one. Up 17-16 late, CMU went on an 8-2 run to win set four, 25-18, and force a fifth set.
Set five went down to the wire, as the Cardinals prevailed and won, 16-14, giving Ball State its first MAC win and CMU its first MAC loss.
Match 2
The second match was another five-set thriller between the two evenly matched teams. But this time, the Chippewas emerged victorious.
In set one, down 6-5, the Cardinals used a 6-0 run to take the lead. They would not give it back, as Ball State took set one, 25-19.
At risk of going down 2-0 late in the second set, head coach Mike Gawlik challenged the ruling of a ball that was hit out by junior outside hitter Natalia Rejment. The call was overturned, giving the point and the momentum to CMU.
The Chippewas rode that momentum to a 7-1 run and a set two victory.
Using the momentum from set two, CMU got out to an early lead in set three, but the Cardinals stuck around and tied it at 13. It would not be enough, as Central Michigan pulled away to win 25-21.
Midway through the fourth set, the ball went flying toward the CMU bench off of a dig by junior setter Allie Korba. Junior defensive specialist Alina Anderson went charging toward the sideline and into the bench, as she was able to save it and keep the ball in play. Anderson’s effort was not for nothing when Rejment finished the play with a kill.
“When you know that teammates are willing to fight for you and maybe run through the chairs for you, we wanna be as safe as we can, but we’re pushing limits cause we’re trying to keep the ball in the air,” Gawlik said. “We put it back in play and we’re able to win the rally later on, that's just such an emotional point and an emotional rally to capitalize on those points.
"There’s certain rallies within volleyball games that kind of give you that extra emotional charge, and that's one of them. I think it really kinda set the tone that we were gonna keep fighting.”
Ball State then went on an 8-0 run to take the lead 18-12, but the Chippewas fought back. They went on a 10-4 run to tie it up at 22. In the end, they ran out of gas, and the Cardinals finished the job, 25-23, to force a set five.
The Chippewas led set five from start to finish, winning by a score of 15-9.
Senior outside hitter Lauren Schrock came up big with 18 kills and a block.
“Lauren did a really nice job,” Gawlik said. “We win as a group, and sometimes it's really hard not to be in the lineup and stay ready mentally. When you can call upon your bench to step up and help where there’s problems and they can help solve those problems, it shows you how bought in they are to the team culture.
“I think that's so important in a match like today where not only can we lean on Lauren who hasn’t played a whole lot for us this fall, but then we’re able to make substitutions with others on our bench and find ways to beat a really good team.
Gawlik said having those players who can step up in any moment helps the team as they continue MAC play.
"We have a lot more people on our team than just who our starters are, and we can lean on them when we need a little bit of support and a little bit of a pick me up," Gawlik said. "I think that team camaraderie that comes together and the way we won will serve us well down the stretch.”
Redshirt junior middle blocker/outside hitter Abby Olin was efficient as always, with 18 kills (31 total for the weekend) on a .429 hitting percentage, four digs, and four blocks.
Rejment had a double-double with 13 kills (28 total for the weekend) and 17 digs. She also had three blocks and seven service aces on the weekend
Korba had a double-double with 12 digs and 53 assists, (109 total for the weekend). She also had five service aces and two blocks on the weekend.
And many other players stepped up big-time by doing the little things that might not show up on the stat sheet.
The Chippewas will travel to Ohio to take on Toledo at 6 p.m. on Thursday., and Bowling Green on Friday at 6 p.m.
