Central Michigan University
Northern Illinois
Chippewas Extend Win Streak To 4
11/3/2017 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Lindsay Gerber, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Jordan Bueter and Kalina Smith combined for 37 kills to lead the Central Michigan volleyball team to a 3-1 Mid-American Conference victory over Northern Illinois on Friday at McGuirk Arena.
The win extended the Chippewas' win streak to a season-high four. CMU improved to 14-11, 6-7 MAC. The Huskies dropped to 7-21, 6-7.
CMU topped NIU 24-26, 25-21, 25-17, 25-15. The victory moved the Chippewas into a three-way tie with Toledo and NIU for seventh place in the overall MAC standings.
The top eight teams earn a berth in the league tournament. Each of the conference's 12 teams has three league games remaining.
"We have a never-say-die attitude," CMU coach Mike Gawlik said. "The first set wasn't going our way. Throughout this winning streak, we've had adversity. Our ability to bounce back is a key to staying in matches and realizing you can change your fate. We did that tonight by recovering from a bad set one."
Bueter led the Chippewas' offense with 19 kills, while Smith, a freshman, was right on the heels of her senior teammate, contributing 18 kills on a .483 attack percentage. It was her third consecutive match in which she has registered double-digit kills.
"It's been different going from high school ball to college ball," Smith said. "(Bueter) has helped me learn different things. She's been a great role model for me."
Lyza Myers added nine kills for CMU while Paige Carey had seven. Chippewa setter Grace Butler, another freshman, had 49 assists and Megan Kern finished with a team-high 18 digs.
Kaylee Martin had 12 kills for Northern Illinois.
CMU will look to extend its win streak to five when it plays host to rival Western Michigan in a MAC match on Saturday (7 p.m.). The Broncos are 14-10, 7-6 after dropping a three-setter at Eastern Michigan on Friday.
"It's just another game for us right now," Bueter said. "We always want to beat Western, but we always want to beat every team we play."
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
