Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Hit Home Court in Invitational
9/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. --In a season that is still in its adolescence, the Central Michigan volleyball team looks to improve upon a slow 0-3 start to its season.
Youth and inexperience have already proven to be stiff obstacles to overcome for the Chippewas, but head coach Erik Olson said his team has the ability to get things rolling in the right direction.
"We have a lot of tools and we just need to keep sharpening them," Olson said. "I think this is a very good team that just has to put things together."
CMU will have home court advantage as they host the Chippewas Invitational this weekend, Sept. 5-6, at McGuirk Arena. Marshall, Green Bay and Butler will be in Mount Pleasant for the event.
"I know we're going to have a nice gym, and we're going to have a nice environment," said Olson. "That's what I think the team is looking forward to."
CMU has been strong on the attack this season, accounting for 148 kills compared to their opponents' 130 kills.
Freshman outside hitter Jordan Bueter leads the way in kills for the Chippewas this season with 36. Senior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre is just behind that mark with 33.
Olson attributes CMU's success on the attack to the team's aggressive mentality.
"I'm compartmentalizing that into intensity," said Olson. "Go, go, go, go. I want to see this team make things happen, not wait to see what's happening and see what's happening to us."
One drawback to the Chippewas' first three matches of the year has been their difficulty limiting mistakes. They have recorded 75 errors, 27 more than their opponents.
Knowing that errors are all but inevitable in matches, Olson aims to get CMU to distinguish between the tolerable errors that come from an aggressive style of play and the "bad errors" that can be limited.
"One of the words we use is we have good errors and bad errors," said Olson. "We're teaching our players how to make good errors, and good errors equals being aggressive."
CMU will open this weekend's Chippewas Invitational Friday evening against Marshall. The Chippewas match up Saturday with Wisconsin-Green Bay in the afternoon and Butler in the evening.
While there are plenty facets of CMU's game that need work, Olson and his squad have an opportunity this weekend -- on its home court -- to make strides.
And a little home cooking may be just what the Chippewas need to get on track.
"If the other team stops us and makes us change, good for that other team," said Olson. "Same thing when the other team's doing something to us, we need to make sure we're responding and changing and making them change what they're doing to beat us. That's a huge thing for this group. We've got all the tools."
Green Bay enters the tournament 0-3, while Marshall is 1-3 and Butler is 1-2. The Thundering Herd's victory came over Illinois-Chicago, while its losses have come to Eastern Michigan, Virgina and Eastern Kentucky.
Marshall features four players with at least 25 kills on the season in Ally Kiekover, Lauren Legge, Elyse Panick and Cassie Weaver. Kiekover averages a team-best 2.64 kills per set.
Green Bay has yet to win a set this season in falling to 23rd-ranked Arizona along with Kansas State and South Dakota. Taylor Kasal leads the Phoenix at 2.33 kills per set. Green Bay has accumulated a .089 attack percentage through its first three matches, while its opponents are attacking at .283.
Butler opened the season with a 1-2 finish at the Bluegrass Battle at Kentucky. The Bulldogs defeated Virginia Tech and lost to 16th-ranked Kentucky and Wichita State. Belle Obert leads Butler with a 3.75-kills-per-set average.
Butler was 42nd in the Division I RPI at the end of the 2013 season, the highest ranking among the four teams who will be on the McGuirk court this weekend.
