Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Head to Akron, Buffalo
10/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - At the midway point of the volleyball season, Central Michigan finds itself locked in a battle for a Mid-American Conference Tournament berth.
The Chippewas are 8-12 overall and one of four teams that are 3-5 in league play, tied for sixth place. The division winners plus the teams with the next six best records will make the tournament field.
CMU's next four games, all conference matchups, are on the road, beginning Friday at Akron (8-15, 2-6). On Saturday, they play at Buffalo (13-9, 3-5).
"This weekend's important," coach Erik Olson said. "They're matches that are very winnable, but we've got to go out there and we've got to play ball."
The Chippewas have lost four of their last five league starts. The lone win came last Friday at home against Bowling Green. On Saturday, CMU was swept, 3-0, by Miami (Ohio).
"I absolutely think we could have and should have won last Saturday night," Olson said. "But our team had a problem with their preparation before the match, and that's something this team has got to figure out."
The Chippewas found themselves in a 10-1 hole to start the first set against Miami. They eventually pulled ahead, 25-24, but the RedHawks rallied to win the set, setting the tone for the match.
"The first set can't be a problem," Olson said. "We're working on that and the players say they've never felt tighter in terms of their cohesion and whatnot, but they've got to use that to their advantage, use that to win, not to be complacent.
"I don't think complacency has anything to do with it. I think they just weren't ready Saturday night . That doesn't happen too often, but it's happened more with this team, and it's my youngest team I've ever had."
Made all the younger when senior Kaitlyn McIntyre, one of the top talents in the MAC, is on the bench. McIntyre has been hampered by an injury and did not play in either match last weekend.
"She was cleared to play last weekend but I didn't feel that she had enough rest," Olson said, adding that, while McIntyre is medically cleared to play, she still has pain and she must work back into the flow after time away from the court.
"We want to get her going with the ball and kind of test it out," he said. "She came out of practice (on Tuesday) and said it was good."
The silver lining in the absence of McIntyre, of course, is the opportunity for younger players to put on display their talents. One, freshman defensive specialist Courtney Hiltibran, did in Saturday's match against Miami, finishing with 10 digs after posting seven in Friday's win over Bowling Green.
"I loved Courtney Hiltibran out there last weekend," Olson said. "I thought that she showed a lot of savvy. Her reading ability in the middle-back was awesome and she had a great presence."
Jessica Meichtry, another freshman, hit at .385 against the RedHawks.
"Wish we would have had four other hitters who would have joined her (at that number)," Olson said. "We did have one hitter going, but the rest of them were struggling. It was just one of those nights."
