Central Michigan University Athletics
First Place Chippewas Face East Division's Best This Week
10/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Mid-American Conference West Division leading Central Michigan volleyball team returns home for a pair of league clashes this week, welcoming East Division leaders Bowling Green and Miami to Rose Arena.
CMU will face the Falcons on Thursday and Miami on Friday. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m.
BGSU (14-6, 4-2 MAC) enters the week second in the East Division, one game behind of MU. The trio of junior Corey Domek (3.06 kills/set) and seniors Meghan Mohr (2.85) and Kendra Halm (2.85) lead the MAC’s No. 3 offense. The three make up 68 percent of the squad’s kills, but only Halm (.314) is hitting above .240 for a Falcons team that hits .232. Sophomore Sam Fish (9.69) handles a majority of the setting duties, and senior Chelsey Meek is second in the conference with 4.97 digs per set. Halm (81) paces the squad in blocks.
“They have a diverse attack, but they do have some tendencies just like any team,” head coach Erik Olson said. “With preparation we’ll be just fine. They’re pretty well rounded in every aspect of the game and they’re used to winning. We’re looking forward to playing the Falcons.”
CMU is 19-24 all-time against BGSU, with the Falcons having taken each of the previous five meetings dating back to 2004.
Miami (11-7, 5-1 MAC), the defending MAC Tournament champions, have won four in a row and sit atop the East Division. MU has four players averaging more than 2.5 kills per set, led by senior Emily Schroeder (3.21). Other offensive threats include juniors Megan Griffin (2.66 kills, .325) Hallie Hanks (2.56, .251) and Maria Leahy (2.56). Junior Andrea Attenberry (10.81 assists) handles the setting duties, while senior libero Melissa Zenz (4.02 digs) paces the defense. Griffin is the only RedHawk who averages more than half a block (0.82).
“The RedHawks have the most balanced offense in the MAC,” Olson said. “There’s not a whole lot of specialization and that’s what makes them difficult to play. We feel we match up pretty well with them as long as we play our game. I think it’s going to be a great match.”
Central is 21-27-2 all-time against Miami. The RedHawks have won seven of the past eight meetings dating back to 2001, including the quarterfinals of last year’s MAC Tournament. Outside of its 3-1 loss to Western Michigan, Miami has lost just two sets in its other five conference matches.
Seniors Kate Fissel (3.08 kills) and Whitney Evers (2.89) along with sophomore Lauren Krupsky (2.51) pace the Chippewa offense. Junior Stephanie Budde (10.53 assists) is the team’s primary setter and junior Alexis Lonneman (4.23 digs) leads the defense. The Chippewas have two players rank among the MAC’s top-10 in aces in Evers (0.37) and junior Kaitlyn Hurt (0.36). Four Chippewas are averaging better than half a block per set, led by freshman Kaitlyn Schultz’s 0.86. Schultz is also second in the MAC in hitting percentage (.330)
CMU has won 12 of its past 14 regular season MAC matches dating back to last season, and is off to its best league start since 1996 when Central also started the MAC slate 5-1. A win on Thursday would give the Chippewas their best conference start since 1994, when Central won its first eight matches and 10 of its first 11.
“We’re playing great ball,” Olson said. “The whole focus of our early season was to prepare us for league play, and we have a lot of veteran leadership on this team that knows what it takes to win. We’re going to continue to play each match one by one, but I’m pleased with the direction we’re headed.”
During Thursday's match, the team will be participating in the "Dig for the Cure" in an effort ro raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. The team has already raised over $1,200 for the cause and will continue their efforts throughout the week. Pink rally towels will also be handed out during the match against BGSU. In addition, Colleges Against Cancer, a CMU student organization, and a representative from the Lansing branch of the Komen foundation will both be in attendance to distribute information. For more information about Dig for the Cure, please visit the foundation's website. Thursday's match is also being sponsored by National City Bank and Central Michigan Community Hospital.
Live stats and live video will be available on cmuchippewas.com for both matches.
