Friday, October 11
Mount Pleasant, MI
6 p.m.
Central Michigan University
15-2,5-0MAC
3
vs
1
Ball State
9-8,3-2MAC
1
2
3
4
F
Ball St.
26
14
24
19
1
Central Mich.
24
25
26
25
3
Photo by: Allissa Rusco
Chippewas Follow Familiar Path, Run Win Streak To 10
10/11/2019 9:47:00 PM | Volleyball
CMU downs Ball State, opens 2-game lead in MAC West
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Same pattern, same result.
Perhaps a new source of motivation.
Any way you cut it, it never gets old for the Central Michigan volleyball team.
The Chippewas downed Ball State in four sets in a Mid-American Conference match on Friday at McGuirk Arena, winning its 10th consecutive to improve to 15-2, 5-0 league, and upping its lead in the MAC West to two games over the Cardinals and Northern Illinois, both of which are 3-2 in conference play.
The Chippewas dropped the first set, 26-24, then won three straight, 25-14, 26-24, 25-19. They followed the same script, dropping the first and then winning three, in beating Eastern Michigan and then Kent State in their previous two matches.
"Coming into this match," CMU coach Mike Gawlik said, "we as a team were saying that these are the kind of moments that we want to be in at the beginning of the year. I was really proud of our group for stepping in there and playing tough
"I thought we played a pretty complete match. Outside of the hiccups in set one that they took from us … I don't like the habit of losing set one. But, I do like that we're able to separate each set and we played pretty well."
How It Happened
With the match even at one set each, CMU found itself down 23-20 in the pivotal third. The Chippewas closed with a 6-1 run to take the set.
They never trailed in the fourth set, streaking to a 7-1 lead. Ball State never got closer than four points the rest of the way.
The spurt to end the third set was sparked by Hannah Warners, who calmed down the Chippewas with a reminder that they had been in such situations before.
"We had this exact same situation in practice," CMU's Kalina Smith said. "As soon as we got in the huddle (after a timeout), Warners looked at our entire group and said, 'We did this in practice yesterday. It's a simple game.'
"We went out there with that mindset instead of thinking 'Oh crap, we're down.' Those situations in practice help prepare us for the game."
Said Gawlik: "Hats off to Warners. She was a player that wasn't in uniform tonight. But she changed the focus of the group in a tough time. Our bench tonight as a whole created great energy."
Leaders
Smith led the Chippewas with 17 kills and a career-high 26 digs. Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez added 16 kills on a team-high .483 attacking percentage.
"The biggest thing is to be put in the position to be aggressive," Smith said. "My setters do a nice job of putting a nice, high ball out there that allows me to put a (powerful) swing on it. Our defense dug a lot of balls today.
"We did a really good job of getting the digs nice and high, and not only getting the ball up in the air, but a quality dig to where our setters could set the ball up, and it makes my job really easy. It's not hard to kill balls where you have setters and defensive players like we do."
Rosario-Martinez also credited the setters, Grace Butler and Kendall Braate, along with the Chippewas on the bench.
"They were pushing me all the time like 'Lisbeth, let's go,'" she said. "And the (sets) were good; thanks to the setters. When you hear the bench and they're like 'We got this, we can do it,' they try to make us feel better, relaxed, and help us do a better job."
Butler posted a season-high 30 assists, while Braate added 24. Savannah Thompson finished with a season-high 24 digs along with 10 kills, while Megan Kern added 20 digs, and Anna Erickson had 11 kills for the Chippewas.
Numbers
CMU finished with a season-high 67 kills on a .235 attacking percentage, and finished with 59 digs, also a season high. They posted 92 digs, matching their season best in that category for a four-set match. Ball State finished with a .121 attacking percentage.
Win Total
With 15 victories, the Chippewas matched the 2017 team for the most in a single season in Gawlik's four years at the helm of the program.
Next
CMU will be back at home on Saturday (8 p.m.) when it entertains Toledo at McGuirk Arena in a MAC match. The Rockets are 7-10, 0-5 after a four-set loss at Eastern Michigan on Friday.
Fans displaying a ticket stub from CMU's football homecoming game on Saturday will be admitted free to the volleyball match.
Perhaps a new source of motivation.
Any way you cut it, it never gets old for the Central Michigan volleyball team.
The Chippewas downed Ball State in four sets in a Mid-American Conference match on Friday at McGuirk Arena, winning its 10th consecutive to improve to 15-2, 5-0 league, and upping its lead in the MAC West to two games over the Cardinals and Northern Illinois, both of which are 3-2 in conference play.
The Chippewas dropped the first set, 26-24, then won three straight, 25-14, 26-24, 25-19. They followed the same script, dropping the first and then winning three, in beating Eastern Michigan and then Kent State in their previous two matches.
"Coming into this match," CMU coach Mike Gawlik said, "we as a team were saying that these are the kind of moments that we want to be in at the beginning of the year. I was really proud of our group for stepping in there and playing tough
"I thought we played a pretty complete match. Outside of the hiccups in set one that they took from us … I don't like the habit of losing set one. But, I do like that we're able to separate each set and we played pretty well."
How It Happened
With the match even at one set each, CMU found itself down 23-20 in the pivotal third. The Chippewas closed with a 6-1 run to take the set.
They never trailed in the fourth set, streaking to a 7-1 lead. Ball State never got closer than four points the rest of the way.
The spurt to end the third set was sparked by Hannah Warners, who calmed down the Chippewas with a reminder that they had been in such situations before.
"We had this exact same situation in practice," CMU's Kalina Smith said. "As soon as we got in the huddle (after a timeout), Warners looked at our entire group and said, 'We did this in practice yesterday. It's a simple game.'
"We went out there with that mindset instead of thinking 'Oh crap, we're down.' Those situations in practice help prepare us for the game."
Said Gawlik: "Hats off to Warners. She was a player that wasn't in uniform tonight. But she changed the focus of the group in a tough time. Our bench tonight as a whole created great energy."
Leaders
Smith led the Chippewas with 17 kills and a career-high 26 digs. Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez added 16 kills on a team-high .483 attacking percentage.
"The biggest thing is to be put in the position to be aggressive," Smith said. "My setters do a nice job of putting a nice, high ball out there that allows me to put a (powerful) swing on it. Our defense dug a lot of balls today.
"We did a really good job of getting the digs nice and high, and not only getting the ball up in the air, but a quality dig to where our setters could set the ball up, and it makes my job really easy. It's not hard to kill balls where you have setters and defensive players like we do."
Rosario-Martinez also credited the setters, Grace Butler and Kendall Braate, along with the Chippewas on the bench.
"They were pushing me all the time like 'Lisbeth, let's go,'" she said. "And the (sets) were good; thanks to the setters. When you hear the bench and they're like 'We got this, we can do it,' they try to make us feel better, relaxed, and help us do a better job."
Butler posted a season-high 30 assists, while Braate added 24. Savannah Thompson finished with a season-high 24 digs along with 10 kills, while Megan Kern added 20 digs, and Anna Erickson had 11 kills for the Chippewas.
Numbers
CMU finished with a season-high 67 kills on a .235 attacking percentage, and finished with 59 digs, also a season high. They posted 92 digs, matching their season best in that category for a four-set match. Ball State finished with a .121 attacking percentage.
Win Total
With 15 victories, the Chippewas matched the 2017 team for the most in a single season in Gawlik's four years at the helm of the program.
Next
CMU will be back at home on Saturday (8 p.m.) when it entertains Toledo at McGuirk Arena in a MAC match. The Rockets are 7-10, 0-5 after a four-set loss at Eastern Michigan on Friday.
Fans displaying a ticket stub from CMU's football homecoming game on Saturday will be admitted free to the volleyball match.
Team Stats
BSU
CMU
Kills
45
67
Errors
24
24
Attempts
173
182
Hitting %
.121
.236
Points
59
72
Assists
41
59
Aces
7
2
Blocks
7
3
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
Setter/Opposite
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ VolleyballOpposite/Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Libero
/ VolleyballMiddle Blocker
/ VolleyballOutside Hitter
/ VolleyballOutside Hitter
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