Central Michigan University
7-21, 4-12MAC
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Western Michigan
16-14, 6-10MAC
Chippewa Volleyball Drops Season Finale
11/10/2018 10:31:00 PM | Volleyball
CMU says good-bye to two seniors, and ahead to bright future
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Central Michigan volleyball team dropped its season finale in four sets to rival Western Michigan on Saturday night at the Broncos' University Arena.
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The Broncos defeated the Chippewas, 25-22, 25-23, 29-31, 25-16. The Chippewas finish 7-21, 4-12 Mid-American Conference. WMU is 16-14, 6-10.
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"All in all I thought we played okay," CMU coach Mike Gawlik said. "I thought our left side, Kalina (Smith) and Savannah (Thompson) were our offensive threats. We didn't have enough from our other attackers to help balance that out."
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It was the final match for CMU seniors Marissa Grant and Emily Wenglikowski.
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"It's always sad to see people leave a program, but I think they left it in a better place than they started," Gawlik said.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
WMU took advantage early, taking a back-and-forth first set, and then remained hot, seizing an early 8-2 advantage in the second set. The Chippewas battled back and twice tied the match, the second time at 17-17. CMU was within one, 24-23, but a Chippewa attack error ended the set, putting CMU in a 2-0 hole.
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The Chippewas rallied from a 24-20 deficit in set three to forge a 24-24 tie. They then fought off four set points to emerge with the hard-fought set victory, getting the final two points on a Western service error and a Lyza Myers kill.
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Western jumped to a 7-2 lead in the fourth set and the Chippewas never got closer than three points the rest of the way.
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The Chippewas finished with a .193 hitting percentage with 25 attack errors and six blocks. The Broncos finished with a .296 hitting percentage, 17 attack errors and 11 blocks.Â
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LEADERS
Smith finished with 17 kills on a .250 hitting percentage, while Thompson added 13 kills and a team-high 19 digs. Setters Grace Butler and Kendall Braate combined for 44 assists and 17 digs.
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LOOKING AHEAD
Of the 16 players on the Chippewas' 2018 roster, 14 are eligible to return, including the six who started against the Broncos. Ten of those potential returnees are underclassmen.
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Consistency, Gawlik said, is at the top of the Chippewas' offseason improvement list.
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"On the whole we played some great matches and some great sets," said Gawlik, whose team started 0-9 in league play and then won four of its final seven matches. "I think the consistency of bringing that day in and day out is something that our group, in order to mature, needs to bring to the table."
