Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Shine in Annual Alumnae Match
8/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
"It was really nice to have our players face some of our recent alumnae, who have a lot of talent," Olson said. "I knew they would have the ability to push us at points, and it was a lot of fun to see some of those players mixing with our current club."
For the six CMU freshmen, it also served as the first chance to pull on a Maroon and Gold jersey and compete on their home floor.
"I thought our freshmen looked pretty polished for their first time on the floor, and that's a reason for a lot of optimism," Olson said. "We were very aggressive and showed a nice ability to put things together."
Lauren Krupsky paced the field with 17 kills, while Danielle Gotham and Kaitlyn Schultz each added 13.
"At times Lindsey Dulude (seven kills, 11 digs) looked like our smartest hitter," Olson said. "Krupsky showed a great deal of power and is an elite talent on the outside, but Lindsey exhibited a lot of aggressiveness and knew what to do with the ball. She did a nice job passing and brought the whole package from the outside."
Freshman Val DeWeerd, also making her CMU debut, finished with nine kills.
"Val had a great start from the right side as well," Olson said. "Gotham also got off to a good start, running some nice routes and her size makes her someone an opponent has to worry about."
In a match that wasn't about the numbers (CMU swept the five-set match, 25-15, 25-11, 25-17, 25-19 and 15-4), Olson was pleased overall with how his team responded to their first competition of 2009.
"I thought today was the best-case scenario," Olson said. "The alumnae were able to challenge us to do things the right way and adjust, and we responded. I'm very confident in this team as we enter the season."
The Chippewas open the regular season on Aug. 28 at the Florida State Invitational.
