Central Michigan University
Nebraska-Omaha
Chippewas Fall in Season, Tournament Opener
8/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Follow the Chippewas this weekend at the Omaha Classic at OMavs.com. Live stats will be available for all tournament matches
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.comOMAHA, Neb. - A slow start and inconsistencies cost the Central Michigan volleyball team in its season opener Friday at the Omaha Classic.
"I think we kind of felt the opening set out a little too much and kind of played from behind the whole way," said CMU volleyball coach Erik Olson after his Chippewas dropped a four-setter to host Nebraska-Omaha. "The girls seemed to focus and that's all I can ask at this point. We talk about being ready at the opening whistle so that we're ready to compete. I believe we played ourselves more than we played the opponent tonight. "
The Mavericks took the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-21, and the fourth, 25-14. The Chippewas took the third set, 25-12.
The Chippewas are scheduled to face Missouri-Kansas City on Saturday afternoon and close the tournament against Drake on Saturday night.
Freshman Jordan Bueter led the Chippewas with 13 kills, Angelique White had nine, and Kaitlyn McIntyre added eight. Setters Danielle Thompson and Kylie Copple finished with 27 and 15 assists, respectively.
Kelley Wollak had 11 kills and Michaela Schimmer added eight for the Mavericks.
"In set 1 and set 2 we were about our side-out percentage being on the low side," Olson said. "We were 14 of 25 (56 percent) in set 1 and we're looking for that number to be in the high 60s to low 70s (percent). And then we dropped to 50 percent in set 2."
Thompson sparked the Chippewas in the third set, when their side-out percentage increased into the high 60s, Olson said.
"We had everything rolling in set three," he said. "We did a good job from the service line with our defense and then we transitioned well in that set. We didn't transition well in any of the other sets. That's something we need to do better (on Saturday).
"With numbers like that, you'd think we didn't pass so well, but we passed really well and that tells me our setting decisions and our attack decisions were not very good. Our opponent had 14 team blocks, that's a lot of blocks, and they outblocked us 14-7.
"In set 3, Thompson set a really great match. Set 4 we struggled in the transition phase of the game again and I think it was 6 or 7 straight transition opportunities that we did not convert on."
In addition to her 13 kills, Beuter had 12 digs, while Kristen Reenders led the Chippewas with 13 digs. McIntyre added nine.
"As a freshman that is an outstanding performance," Olson said of Beuter. "I like that. And White was solid on the evening as well. Reenders started to find the flow in this match, but we're going to need her to dig more balls than she did. In set 3 she really started to get going."
As a team, the Chippewas' attack percentage was .177, while the Mavericks finished at .233.
