Chippewas Host MAC East Co-Leaders

Mitch Vosburg, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan volleyball team squares off with two of the Mid-American Conference's best this weekend at McGuirk Arena.

The Chippewas face Bowling Green (11-8, 5-1 Mid-American Conference) on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Miami (Ohio) (13-5, 5-1) on Saturday (8 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena.

The Falcons and RedHawks are tied atop the MAC East standings.

The Chippewas (3-15, 0-6) fell 3-0 to Western Michigan and 3-1 to Northern Illinois last weekend at home.

STAYING THE COURSE
Despite a 3-15 record, coach Mike Gawlik said his young team's growth is just beneath the surface.

"I think there's growth, I think there's mature decisions happening on and off the court, our leadership is growing," Gawlik said. "With every match our group gets one match more experienced. We try to get them to understand that we are past the midway point (of the season) and a lot of our players have seen a lot of time on the court.

"It's time (for the team) to take a step forward and not consider (themselves) freshman, but to start considering (themselves) as regulars and impact players for the Chippewas."

CHIPPEWA LEADERS
The Chippewas' three leaders in kills are underclassmen: Sophomore outside hitters Kalina Smith (176), Lyza Myers (160) and freshman outside hitter Savannah Thompson (154). Libero Megan Kern, a junior, tops the Chippewas in digs with 223, while Thompson ranks second on the team with 194.

SCOUTING
Five Falcon players have accumulated at least 100 kills this season. Senior middle hitter Madeline Brandewie and senior outside hitter Isabel Kovaic lead with 135 and 133 kills, respectively.

Gawlik said the strength of a well-rounded Falcons squad comes from its defense, led by senior libero Kallie Seimet.

"She's a premier defender in the country, not just the MAC," Gawlik said. "We have to limit her effect on the match, yet it's nearly impossible to do that because she takes up so much space. As a team we have to find ways that we can attack different parts of the court and limit her effectiveness."

The Falcons shared the MAC regular-season championship with Miami in 2017. They feature a different look than previous Bowling Green teams, showcasing young players from the state of Michigan.

"They're traditionally a power in our conference, I don't know if that's changed at all," Gawlik said. "Some of the faces have changed, but they bring a pretty well-balanced attack."

The RedHawks, like the Falcons, enter this weekend with five players with at least 100 kills. Junior middle hitter Margaret Payne and freshman outside hitter Gaby Harper have 160 and 156 kills, respectively.

Senior outside hitter Stela Kukoc leads Miami with 24 aces and 191 digs.

The RedHawks are the defending MAC Tournament champions and are seeking a third consecutive league regular-season title. Coach Carolyn Condit, who is in her 35^th season at Miami, is the ninth winningest active coach in the national and 25th winningest all-time. Her record at Miami is 623-461.

The RedHawks face Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti on Friday.

NEXT
The Chippewas return to the road next week to face Akron on Friday, Oct. 19 (7 p.m.) and then Buffalo on Saturday, Oct. 20 (7 p.m.).

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Players Mentioned

Megan Kern

Lyza Myers

Kalina Smith

Savannah Thompson