Chippewa Volleyball Heads To Chicago

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan volleyball team travels to Chicago to play three games this weekend at the DePaul Invitational.

CMU is 5-1 after wins over Eastern Illinois and North Dakota State and a loss to Illinois-Chicago at the Chippewa Invitational.

The Teams
CMU's first game in Chicago is against the tournament host, DePaul, on Friday (8 p.m.). DePaul is 5-1 after a loss to Oakland and wins over Belmont and Bradley at the Bradley CEFCU Invitational.

The Chippewas will have a doubleheader on Saturday beginning with Valparaiso (11 a.m.). Valpo (3-4) is coming off a win over Idaho State, and losses to Mid-American Conference member Kent State and Robert Morris at the Kent State Golden Flashes classic.

CMU will play Holy Cross for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader (5:30 p.m.). Holy Cross (1-6) has lost six consecutive matches.

Coach's Take
"Looking at DePaul and Valparaiso, they both bring a pretty balanced attack," CMU coach Mike Gawlik said. "They're really good programs."

Gawlik said that he and second-year DePaul coach Marie Zidek are friends and the Blue Demons are playing as Zidek would have them, playing "gritty defense." The Blue Demons rank first in the Big East in digs per set (16.65) and are second in blocks per set (2.23).

"They also have multidimensional players who can do a lot of things," Gawlik said.

"At Valpo, they're always known for their passing, their defense, and their ball control," Gawlik said. "They have a very, I would call it, MAC-style of play that they bring to the table, which is one of the reasons I like to schedule them. They're excellent volleyball players. They all play volleyball incredibly well, meaning they're well skilled, have high volleyball IQs, and no glaring weakness from them on the floor."

Homecoming
The Chippewas have three players on the roster that hail from the Chicago area, and the trip to DePaul will give them an opportunity to compete in front of their respective families and friends. Gawlik is also a native of the area, hailing from neighboring Naperville.

"It's always fun getting to play back in Chicago because I get to see family and be in the city that I know," said junior setter Grace Butler, who hails from Hawthorn Woods, Ill., about 40 miles from Chicago. "But it's even better when and if we can get (some wins) there, too."

Megan Kern, a senior libero, is from LaGrange, Ill., 14 miles from Chicago.

"I'm so happy that we're playing in Chicago this weekend because a lot of my family and friends are able to come watch," Kern said. "It's really great especially because this is my last season (at CMU) and I'm excited to see some people that haven't watched me play since high school."

Savannah Thompson, a sophomore outside hitter, is from Thornton, Ill., which is 25 miles from Chicago.

"[Chicago] is always an exciting environment," Thompson said. "For us to come into a new weekend, especially with coming off a pretty decent weekend that we had [at the Chippewa Invitational]. There's a lot that we're going to be able to grow from this weekend. I can't wait to see the girls put [what we've learned] into play this weekend."

Next
The Chippewas are scheduled to compete in the Youngstown State Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20-21 in Youngstown, Ohio. Eastern Illinois, Robert Morris and the host Penguins round out the field.

It is CMU's last tournament before it opens Mid-American Conference play on Friday, Sept. 27 at Northern Illinois.

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Players Mentioned

Grace Butler

Megan Kern

Savannah Thompson