Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Need Wins, and Some Help, to Reach MAC Tournament
11/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Central Michigan volleyball team's postseason hopes are on life support.
The Chippewas are 3-11 in Mid-American American Conference play. CMU (9-17 overall) sits in a four-way tie for ninth place in the overall conference standings. The top eight make the MAC Tournament.
The Chippewas play at Eastern Michigan tonight (7 p.m.) and entertain Ohio on Saturday (7 p.m.). CMU needs to win both - and hope that eighth-place Western Michigan, which is 5-9 in league play - loses its final two league matches to have any hope of making the league tourney. EMU (8-19 overall) is one of the four teams tied with the Chippewas for ninth place. Ohio is 14-12, 10-4.
"The only thing that we can really control right now is knowing that we have to go 2-0 this weekend," CMU coach Mike Gawlik said. "We have to hope that Western doesn't win and it stinks that it's out of our control, but what we can focus on right now is playing our best volleyball against Eastern Michigan and Ohio.
"If the dominos fall in our direction after we take care of our business, then that would be a fortunate thing for this team."
Regardless of the how this weekend plays out, there is still plenty positives to take away from the season as well as a feeling of optimism about the future of the program.
The Chippewas will return most of their starters and key role players next season, including the likes of Jordan Bueter, Taylor Robertson, Jessica Meichtry and Courtney Hiltibran.
Bueter leads the Chippewas and ranks fourth in the league in kills per set, 3.44. Freshman starters Megan Kern and Jayla Wesley will also figure heavily in to the future after spending most of the season adjusting to collegiate volleyball.
"I think both Jayla and Megan have carried a pretty significant role for this group," Gawlik said. "With limited options at middle blocker and libero, it was kind of a baptism by fire for both of them this season.
"I think they have both done a great job of staying the course. There have been times when they've been just trying to keep their heads above water and also some moments that they have really shined and showed glimpses of what the future can hold."
Setter Kathia Sanchez, the lone senior on the CMU roster, will be honored before Saturday's match with the Bobcats. Sanchez leads the Chippewas with 773 assists and is third with 231 digs this season.
"Kathia is a real special player and has such a well-rounded skill set and can really do just about anything on the court and we've relied on that a lot this season," said Gawlik. "She's been through a lot since coming to the U.S from Puerto Rico; it's not easy to be outside of your element and outside of your culture as she was at Iowa Western and here as well. I've always held her in a high regard because of the maturity in the way she carries herself being so far from home."
