Friday, November 15
Toledo, OH
7 p.m.
Central Michigan University
21-6,11-4MAC
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at
2
Toledo
9-18,2-13MAC
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F
Central Mich.
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25
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Toledo
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Photo by: Allissa Rusco
Champion Chippewas
11/15/2019 11:06:00 PM | Volleyball
CMU volleyball clinches MAC West title share with dramatic 5-set victory
TOLEDO, Ohio -- A much-needed and historic win.
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The Central Michigan volleyball team came from behind to defeat Toledo in a five-set thriller on Friday to clinch a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division championship.
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It is CMU's second league division title. The first came in 2003. The Chippewas are 21-6, 11-4 MAC.
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"Everything we do is celebrated as an entire program," said fourth-year CMU coach Mike Gawlik. "My staff has done a really great job and we've identified players who are willing to fight.
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"I got here four years ago, and we're recruiting the type of people who buy into a vision. This was a part of the vision that we had. To see that come true and to be in a position to hang something in the rafters is really great."
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The Chippewas can wrap up the outright West crown and win the first MAC regular-season championship in program history with a victory on Saturday (7 p.m.) at Ball State.
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"I think we have some unfinished business (Saturday) and certainly in the MAC Tournament," Gawlik said. "Right now, we can't be satisfied; we've got to get a game plan together for Ball State. They're really good, they're fighting for (league-tournament) seeding, and we play them in their home building."
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Championship Implications
There is plenty riding on the CMU-Ball State match. The Cardinals are 16-11, 10-5 and can share the West crown with the Chippewas if they beat CMU on Saturday.
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CMU defeated Ball State in Mount Pleasant on Oct. 11.
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The Chippewas are tied with East-leading Miami (Ohio), which is also 11-4 in league play, for the best record in the MAC. The RedHawks play host to Western Michigan on Saturday. If both CMU and Miami win, they share the regular-season title.
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Under that scenario, Miami would be the No. 1 seed in the league tournament because it holds the tiebreaker – head-to-head competition – over CMU. If the Chippewas win on Saturday and Miami loses, CMU is the champion.
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The divisional second-place teams, Ball State (West) and Bowling Green (East) are both 10-5 in league play. The Falcons play host to Northern Illinois on Saturday.
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Regardless of what happens on Saturday, the Chippewas will be one of the top-four seeds at the MAC Tournament, hosted by Bowling Green, which begins on Thursday, Nov. 21.
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How It Happened
Set one went to Toledo, 25-23, before CMU took set two, 25-22. Toledo won the third set, 25-16.
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Down 6-2 in the fourth set, CMU called timeout and then went on a 12-3 run to seize a 14-9 lead, which the Chippewas never relinquished, though Toledo did draw to 21-20. CMU held off the Rockets, taking the set 25-22.
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CMU used that momentum to win the fifth, limiting Toledo to a .048 hitting percentage. The Chippewas hit at .214 in the fifth, their best of the evening.
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Inspiration
"I felt like this was one of our bigger matches of the year," Gawlik said. "We were really gritty. We weren't playing our best volleyball. In one of our timeouts in set four, we had to make a decision on how we were going to go about it for the rest of the match.
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"Are we going to go out every point and fight? Or are we going to be in a position looking up at the scoreboard feeling bad for ourselves?"
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The Chippewas, obviously, chose the former. The victory was a huge morale boost for a team that had lost both its matches, both in straight sets, last weekend when it had a chance to clinch a West title share.
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"I really felt this was a breakthrough moment for our group who lost a couple of matches in a row," Gawlik said. "We were in a position where we felt that something was slipping through our fingers. We decided to not feel that way, we were going to go out, grab (the win), and fight tooth and nail for every point."
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Leaders
Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez led CMU in kills with 15, matching her second-highest total of the season. She finished with a .321 hitting percentage.
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Maddie Whitfield added 14 kills on a team-best .407 hitting percentage, and Kalina Smith added 12 kills.
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CMU setters Kendall Braate and Grace Butler combined for 46 assists. Megan Kern finished with 24 digs, and Savannah Thompson added 23.
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The Central Michigan volleyball team came from behind to defeat Toledo in a five-set thriller on Friday to clinch a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division championship.
Â
It is CMU's second league division title. The first came in 2003. The Chippewas are 21-6, 11-4 MAC.
Â
"Everything we do is celebrated as an entire program," said fourth-year CMU coach Mike Gawlik. "My staff has done a really great job and we've identified players who are willing to fight.
Â
"I got here four years ago, and we're recruiting the type of people who buy into a vision. This was a part of the vision that we had. To see that come true and to be in a position to hang something in the rafters is really great."
Â
The Chippewas can wrap up the outright West crown and win the first MAC regular-season championship in program history with a victory on Saturday (7 p.m.) at Ball State.
Â
"I think we have some unfinished business (Saturday) and certainly in the MAC Tournament," Gawlik said. "Right now, we can't be satisfied; we've got to get a game plan together for Ball State. They're really good, they're fighting for (league-tournament) seeding, and we play them in their home building."
Â
Championship Implications
There is plenty riding on the CMU-Ball State match. The Cardinals are 16-11, 10-5 and can share the West crown with the Chippewas if they beat CMU on Saturday.
Â
CMU defeated Ball State in Mount Pleasant on Oct. 11.
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The Chippewas are tied with East-leading Miami (Ohio), which is also 11-4 in league play, for the best record in the MAC. The RedHawks play host to Western Michigan on Saturday. If both CMU and Miami win, they share the regular-season title.
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Under that scenario, Miami would be the No. 1 seed in the league tournament because it holds the tiebreaker – head-to-head competition – over CMU. If the Chippewas win on Saturday and Miami loses, CMU is the champion.
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The divisional second-place teams, Ball State (West) and Bowling Green (East) are both 10-5 in league play. The Falcons play host to Northern Illinois on Saturday.
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Regardless of what happens on Saturday, the Chippewas will be one of the top-four seeds at the MAC Tournament, hosted by Bowling Green, which begins on Thursday, Nov. 21.
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How It Happened
Set one went to Toledo, 25-23, before CMU took set two, 25-22. Toledo won the third set, 25-16.
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Down 6-2 in the fourth set, CMU called timeout and then went on a 12-3 run to seize a 14-9 lead, which the Chippewas never relinquished, though Toledo did draw to 21-20. CMU held off the Rockets, taking the set 25-22.
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CMU used that momentum to win the fifth, limiting Toledo to a .048 hitting percentage. The Chippewas hit at .214 in the fifth, their best of the evening.
Â
Inspiration
"I felt like this was one of our bigger matches of the year," Gawlik said. "We were really gritty. We weren't playing our best volleyball. In one of our timeouts in set four, we had to make a decision on how we were going to go about it for the rest of the match.
Â
"Are we going to go out every point and fight? Or are we going to be in a position looking up at the scoreboard feeling bad for ourselves?"
Â
The Chippewas, obviously, chose the former. The victory was a huge morale boost for a team that had lost both its matches, both in straight sets, last weekend when it had a chance to clinch a West title share.
Â
"I really felt this was a breakthrough moment for our group who lost a couple of matches in a row," Gawlik said. "We were in a position where we felt that something was slipping through our fingers. We decided to not feel that way, we were going to go out, grab (the win), and fight tooth and nail for every point."
Â
Leaders
Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez led CMU in kills with 15, matching her second-highest total of the season. She finished with a .321 hitting percentage.
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Maddie Whitfield added 14 kills on a team-best .407 hitting percentage, and Kalina Smith added 12 kills.
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CMU setters Kendall Braate and Grace Butler combined for 46 assists. Megan Kern finished with 24 digs, and Savannah Thompson added 23.
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Team Stats
CMU
UT
Kills
60
52
Errors
36
21
Attempts
203
178
Hitting %
.118
.174
Points
71
71
Assists
56
49
Aces
6
7
Blocks
5
12
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
15
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
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Setter
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