Central Michigan University Athletics
Volleyball Preps for Second Run Through West Division
10/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Divisional play begins its second go-around for the Central Michigan volleyball team this week, as the Chippewas host Toledo and Ball State in a pair of Mid-American Conference matches this weekend.
Second-place CMU (14-8, 8-2 MAC) hosts sixth-place Toledo (10-13, 2-8 MAC) Friday before welcoming the fourth-place Cardinals (10-15, 5-5 MAC) to Rose Arena Saturday. Both matches start at 7 p.m.
The Chippewas defeated both UT and BSU in the first run through divisional play, but head coach Erik Olson knows that there are a lot of adjustments that take place throughout the season.
“They’ve evolved as a team just as we have,” Olson said. “I didn’t feel we executed particularly well against either team, but we managed to come up with a pair of wins. I think we’ll have to improve in our execution while continuing to play well in all areas of the game to come away with wins this time around.”
UT has fallen in five of its past six league matches entering the weekend. The Chippewas swept the Rockets in Toledo, Ohio on Sept. 27.
Toledo enters the week with the ninth-ranked offense in the MAC during league play (.174 hitting percentage) and the No. 12 defense (.266). The Rockets boast the third-best ace average at 1.18, behind Ohio (1.28) and CMU (1.77).
Freshman Amber Deweerdt paces the Rockets’ offense with 3.56 kills per set (No. 4 in MAC) while junior Stephanie Kersting (0.27) and Kassie Kadera (0.26) rank seventh and eighth, respectively, in league aces. Kadera is UT’s primary setter averaging 10.47 assists, the fifth-most in MAC play.
BSU has dropped four of its last five league matches entering the weekend and will face Eastern Michigan on Friday before heading up the road to Mount Pleasant. CMU picked up a 3-1 win over the Cardinals in Muncie, Ind. to open league play on Sept. 26.
Ball State features the No. 8 offense in MAC play (.186) and the fifth-best defense (.190), bolstered by its ability to block (ranked No. 3, 2.06 per set) and wrack up aces (No. 4, 1.17)
Freshman Jennifer Boyd guides the Cardinals’ attack with the conference’s fifth-best hitting percentage in league play (.313). She also leads the team in league blocks with 33 (0.92). Fellow freshman Brittany McGinnis ranks eighth in league assists, averaging 9.49 as the team’s primary setter. Junior Julie Breivogel leads the team in MAC aces with 0.26. Sophomore libero Alyssa Rio is Ball State’s top defender, averaging 4.46 digs.
“Both Toledo and Ball State have strong right side attacks,” Olson said. “We were able to beat both teams without playing our best the last time, and while that’s the mark of a great team the ability to win games where you don’t play your best we’d like to see improvement on a daily basis from here on out.”
The Chippewas enter the weekend with the fourth-ranked league offense (.236) and defense (.176). CMU still leads the field in service aces by nearly half an ace per set (1.77), with the next-highest mark being Ohio’s 1.28.
Freshman Kaitlyn Schultz leads the conference in hitting percentage (.370) during MAC matches, while junior Kaitlyn Hurt ranks third (.329). Junior setter Stephanie Budde paces the field in service aces (0.41) while ranking third in league assists (11.41). Senior Whitney Evers is second in service aces, just behind Budde (0.40). Senior Erika Neumann also ranks among the top-10, tied for ninth (0.26).
Schultz ranks No. 10 among league blockers (0.83), while junior libero Alexis Lonneman ranks third in digs (4.89). She now has 1,418 career digs, just 82 away from becoming just the second Chippewa in school history to reach 1,500 digs.
Senior Sarah Warner is also creeping closer to a career milestone. She’s just 67 kills away from 1,000, and if she reaches the mark would become just the 13th player in school history to achieve the feat. In addition, it would give CMU three players with 1,000 kills on its active roster. Seniors Kate Fissel and Evers became the first Chippewa duo in program history to accomplish that feat when Evers cracked the mark earlier this season against Michigan State.
Live stats and live video will be made available for both matches, courtesy of cmuchippewas.com.
Second-place CMU (14-8, 8-2 MAC) hosts sixth-place Toledo (10-13, 2-8 MAC) Friday before welcoming the fourth-place Cardinals (10-15, 5-5 MAC) to Rose Arena Saturday. Both matches start at 7 p.m.
The Chippewas defeated both UT and BSU in the first run through divisional play, but head coach Erik Olson knows that there are a lot of adjustments that take place throughout the season.
“They’ve evolved as a team just as we have,” Olson said. “I didn’t feel we executed particularly well against either team, but we managed to come up with a pair of wins. I think we’ll have to improve in our execution while continuing to play well in all areas of the game to come away with wins this time around.”
UT has fallen in five of its past six league matches entering the weekend. The Chippewas swept the Rockets in Toledo, Ohio on Sept. 27.
Toledo enters the week with the ninth-ranked offense in the MAC during league play (.174 hitting percentage) and the No. 12 defense (.266). The Rockets boast the third-best ace average at 1.18, behind Ohio (1.28) and CMU (1.77).
Freshman Amber Deweerdt paces the Rockets’ offense with 3.56 kills per set (No. 4 in MAC) while junior Stephanie Kersting (0.27) and Kassie Kadera (0.26) rank seventh and eighth, respectively, in league aces. Kadera is UT’s primary setter averaging 10.47 assists, the fifth-most in MAC play.
BSU has dropped four of its last five league matches entering the weekend and will face Eastern Michigan on Friday before heading up the road to Mount Pleasant. CMU picked up a 3-1 win over the Cardinals in Muncie, Ind. to open league play on Sept. 26.
Ball State features the No. 8 offense in MAC play (.186) and the fifth-best defense (.190), bolstered by its ability to block (ranked No. 3, 2.06 per set) and wrack up aces (No. 4, 1.17)
Freshman Jennifer Boyd guides the Cardinals’ attack with the conference’s fifth-best hitting percentage in league play (.313). She also leads the team in league blocks with 33 (0.92). Fellow freshman Brittany McGinnis ranks eighth in league assists, averaging 9.49 as the team’s primary setter. Junior Julie Breivogel leads the team in MAC aces with 0.26. Sophomore libero Alyssa Rio is Ball State’s top defender, averaging 4.46 digs.
“Both Toledo and Ball State have strong right side attacks,” Olson said. “We were able to beat both teams without playing our best the last time, and while that’s the mark of a great team the ability to win games where you don’t play your best we’d like to see improvement on a daily basis from here on out.”
The Chippewas enter the weekend with the fourth-ranked league offense (.236) and defense (.176). CMU still leads the field in service aces by nearly half an ace per set (1.77), with the next-highest mark being Ohio’s 1.28.
Freshman Kaitlyn Schultz leads the conference in hitting percentage (.370) during MAC matches, while junior Kaitlyn Hurt ranks third (.329). Junior setter Stephanie Budde paces the field in service aces (0.41) while ranking third in league assists (11.41). Senior Whitney Evers is second in service aces, just behind Budde (0.40). Senior Erika Neumann also ranks among the top-10, tied for ninth (0.26).
Schultz ranks No. 10 among league blockers (0.83), while junior libero Alexis Lonneman ranks third in digs (4.89). She now has 1,418 career digs, just 82 away from becoming just the second Chippewa in school history to reach 1,500 digs.
Senior Sarah Warner is also creeping closer to a career milestone. She’s just 67 kills away from 1,000, and if she reaches the mark would become just the 13th player in school history to achieve the feat. In addition, it would give CMU three players with 1,000 kills on its active roster. Seniors Kate Fissel and Evers became the first Chippewa duo in program history to accomplish that feat when Evers cracked the mark earlier this season against Michigan State.
Live stats and live video will be made available for both matches, courtesy of cmuchippewas.com.
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