Central Michigan University Athletics
Homecoming For Coach, Big Tests For Team
9/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Homecoming for Mike Gawlik. Measuring stick for Central Michigan volleyball.
The Chippewas and their rookie coach will face two heavyweights on Saturday when they open play in the Auto Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational at Michigan State's Jenison Field House.
CMU, which went 1-2 in its season-opening tournament last weekend at IUPUI, is slated to play Florida (1-1 and ranked seventh) at 10 a.m., then will take on the host Spartans (3-0, 28th) at 6:30 p.m.
The Chippewas close the tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Morgan State (0-4).
"I think it's special to go back to a place that I held in high regard for a long time," said Gawlik, who served as an assistant under MSU coach Cathy George for 11 years before taking over the Chippewa program prior to this season. "Michigan State was very good to me. Cathy George was a mentor, probably my biggest mentor in the coaching world. It's exciting to go back and hopefully show my growth as a coach."
Sentimentality aside, the tournament serves as a good measuring stick for Gawlik and his staff. Florida has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 25 seasons, and last year reached the Elite Eight. MSU is seeking its sixth consecutive NCAA Tourney berth.
"If we're going where we say we want to be going then these are the kind of teams that we need to play tough against," Gawlik said. "When we make the NCAA Tournament, in time, these are the kind of teams that we're going to face. I don't want that to be a shock the first time we get there.
"I'm not guaranteeing anything; I'm just saying that's the direction we want to be heading. We play these teams early on so we can grow from these matches and learn from them."
The Chippewas opened last weekend at IUPUI with a loss to Southern Illinois, a team that last year received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, then fell to the host Jaguars. Both losses came in straight sets.
CMU rebounded to sweep Duquesne in their final match at IUPUI.
"We showed the ability to learn and evolve and I think that's what we'll continue to do," Gawlik said. "We want to make sure that we're growing and getting better with every match.
"We closed out sets against Duquesne. I'm hoping that in 12 weeks when we look back on Duquesne we're laughing at how good we thought we were."
