Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Drop Hard-Fought Season Opener to Auburn, 3-2
8/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Central Michigan showed a never-give-up attitude in its season-opener versus Auburn Friday night at the Green Bay/Country Inn & Suites Invitational, but ultimately dropped the contest in five sets.
The Chippewas claimed the first and fourth sets of the match in dominating fashion, 25-17 and 25-16, but were unable to come up with the win in the fifth set, falling 15-9.
CMU was able to jump out early and never looked back in the first, leading wire to wire, thanks in large part to a .448 hitting percentage as a team. A kill by freshman Angelique White put the Maroon and Gold up five, 15-10, and they eventually closed out the set on back-to-back attacking errors by Auburn's Sarah Bullock.
The Tigers flipped the switch on the Chippewas in the second set, evening things up by claiming the game, 25-16, before a back-and-forth third set.
Auburn forced CMU to take a timeout after it jumped out a 5-1 lead in the third, but the Chippewas came fighting back and pulled within two, 11-9, on a kill by junior setter Kelly Maxwell. The back and forth continued between the two squads and CMU was faced with set point down 24-22 before back-to-back kills by junior Danielle Gotham and White tied things up. CMU and AU saw the lead exchanged or the game tied eight more times before the Tigers closed it out, 30-28.
The dominant form returned in the fourth set for the Chippewas as they evened the match with a 25-16 set victory. CMU took a big lead early, 10-4, on a kill by Maxwell and extended it to eight, 19-11, on back-to-back kills from sophomore outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre. After Auburn pulled within six, 21-15, CMU ran away with the set and forced a fifth set when senior Lindsey Dulude came up with a set-clinching block.
The Tigers claimed an early 5-0 lead in the fifth set, forcing CMU to use each of its two timeouts, but they proved important as the Chippewas came back and tied the set, 6-6, on a kill by Val DeWeerd. Auburn was able to reclaim the lead however on the next point and did not relinquish it, outscoring CMU, 9-3, down the stretch to claim the victory.
White led a balanced attack of four Chippewas with double digit kills in her first collegiate match, hitting .542 with 14 kills and a team-high six blocks. Dulude had 12 kills and 16 digs, while DeWeerd had 13 kills and McIntyre 12. Maxwell finished the night with match-high 46 assists and junior libero Jenna Coates had a match-high 34 digs.
The Chippewas will continue the tournament tomorrow afternoon when they take on host Green Bay at 1:30 and Drake at 5:30 p.m.
