Central Michigan University
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Western Michigan
Chippewas Go Down Swinging
11/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Central Michigan volleyball team's final match of the season Saturday night was about pride.
The Chippewas' hope of extending their season ended before they took the court to play Western Michigan, the result of Buffalo's three-set win over Toledo earlier in the day. That result gave the Bulls the eighth and final spot in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
In their last opportunity of the season to perform, the Chippewas found themselves in a 0-2 hole after two sets with Western.
Rather than folding, CMU rallied to force a fifth set before finally succumbing.
"One thing about this team is that they compete," CMU coach Erik Olson said. "There are certainly things we could have done better and we have to figure out ways to win a fifth set, but our effort is hardly ever in question."
The Chippewas also dropped a five-set match at Northern Illinois Friday night.
Western Michigan won sets one and two, 25-22 and 25-12, respectively, and took the fifth, 15-9. The Chippewas won the third and fourth sets, both by 25-21 counts.
"I certainly think this team improved throughout the season," Olson said. "Going on the road to play (Northern Illinois and Western Michigan) in the final weekend is a tough task, but I saw a lot of fight in our team. We weren't quite good enough, but with our youth and numbers of returners, everyone is excited for what's to come."
In the final match of her career, senior Kaitlyn McIntyre led the Chippewas in kills with 15. She finishes second in school history with 1,521 career kills.
"You don't really replace McIntyre," Olson said. "It's not just her arm and her kills, it's her as a volleyball player and a competitor.
"She's been through a lot, coming in as a freshman and winning a MAC championship and then playing through some tough times with starters getting hurt last year and a young team this year. But she did the best she could. She's a really strong kid and she's going to do well in her future."
Seniors Hallie Enderle and Danielle Thompson also concluded their careers at CMU.
"Enderle is all heart," Olson said. "She has a heart of a lion and she's a great person. She fought through sore knees for the past two years. But she was a great teammate and such a great mentor to younger players. She's the type of character and person you'll never forget."
"Thompson (who transferred in before her junior year) only had two seasons with us and she was injured the first year," Olson said. "She worked extremely hard to get back this year. It was impressive for her to fight the way she did and come back from a serious injury. She learned a lot about the game of volleyball, and she was a great player to have in the locker room. We're so glad to have her in our family."
Olson said this year's group of seniors had one feature that stuck out to him the most: They never quit.
"These seniors had a lot of chips stacked against them and they never quit," he said. "They gave it their all, all the way to the last point. They positioned us to be in a really great place moving forward and helped form a culture of giving 100 percent at all times."
Taylor Robertson finished with 14 kills and Jordan Bueter added 13 on Saturday against Western, which is 18-13, 9-7 MAC.
Setter Kyle Copple finished with 48 assists, while McIntyre and Kristen Reenders shared the team lead in digs with 16 apiece. Courtney Hiltibran added 14.
The Chippewas finished 10-18, 5-11.
