Central Michigan University Athletics
McIntyre's Career Night Pushes CMU past Western, 3-1
9/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
MOUNT PLEASANT - Sophomore Kaitlyn McIntyre slammed home a career-high 27 kills and junior Kelly Maxwell recorded her second consecutive 50-plus assist match with 56 to defeat rival Western Michigan, 3-1, inside McGuirk Arena Saturday night.
The Chippewas (7-6, 1-1 MAC) took two straight sets over the Broncos (8-6, 1-1 MAC), 25-21 and 25-15, to close the match after winning the first, 25-19, and dropping the second, 24-26.
The tandem of McIntyre and Maxwell led the Chippewas to victories over the Broncos in those final two sets with 17 kills and 30 assists, respectively. McIntyre’s 27 kills were just three shy of tying the CMU post-rally era kills record, which was set by Emily Lovejoy in 2004 against Clemson.
Her previous career-high was 24 kills, set at Ohio on Nov. 5, 2011. Maxwell recorded 50-plus assists in back-to-back games for the third time in her career, including her 52 against Northern Illinois on Friday.
Central Michigan jumped out to an early 11-5 lead in the first set behind three kills from McIntyre, forcing the Broncos to take a timeout. The Broncos climbed back into the match within one point, 19-18, but the Chippewas finished on a 6-1 run to close the game and win, 25-19. The Broncos committed three attacking errors and senior Val DeWeerd recorded two kills during the run. The defense held the Broncos to just a .080 hitting percentage in the set.
The Chippewas dropped a very closely fought second set to the Broncos, 26-24. The Broncos took a 13-8 lead following a CMU timeout, but the Chippewas responded with four consecutive points to pull within one, 13-12, on two attacking errors from Western and kills from freshman Angie White and senior Lindsey Dulude. Neither team took more than a three-point advantage throughout the remainder of the set, and the Chippewas fought off a set-point to tie the match, 24-24. The Broncos scored two consecutive points to take the match.
McIntyre recorded nine kills in the third as the Chippewas won, 25-21. Central fell behind early, 8-3, before going on a run to take a 14-13 lead behind three kills by White. The Chippewas never trailed again in the set. A kill from McIntyre gave the Chippewas a 24-21 set point advantage, and she finished the set off with another kill on the following point.
The potent offensive attack from McIntyre and Maxwell continued in the decisive fourth set and the Chippewas' defense took its game to the next level, holding the Broncos to just five kills and forcing five attacking errors. The Chippewas jumped out in front, 10-5, and forced Western into a timeout before they extended their lead to seven, 14-7, on a kill from McIntyre. After another WMU timeout, CMU extended its largest lead of the set to nine, 20-11, on a service ace from junior Jenna Coates, and a pair of emphatic kills from McIntyre closed the match, 25-15.
The Chippewas finish up a four-match homestand against Eastern Michigan Thursday at 7 p.m. inside McGuirk Arena.
