Thursday, February 4
Mount Pleasant, MI
6 P.M.
Central Michigan University
vs
Northern Illinois
Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22
CMU Volleyball Looks To Bounce Back Against Northern Illinois
2/3/2021 3:01:00 PM | Volleyball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan volleyball team returns to the court on Thursday for the first of a two-match Mid-American Conference series with Northern Illinois at McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas and Huskies will square off on Thursday (6 p.m.) and then conclude the series on Friday (2 p.m.).
Both teams are 1-3 both overall and in the MAC., and in a three-way tie with Toledo for third place in the West Division. The Chippewas were swept last week at home by Kent State; the Huskies split two home matches with Toledo.
Where They Stand
The Chippewas are fourth in the MAC in kills per set (13.6) and rank seventh in hitting percentage (.199).
CMU opponents are hitting .304 against the Chippewas, who are fifth in the league in blocks (1.9 per set).
Consistency, particularly on defense, is critical as the Chippewas traverse a most unusual winter season featuring 22 matches, all against MAC opponents. Without any preseason weekend tournaments – in a typical year, the Chippewas would have played a dozen or so nonleaguers before beginning MAC play – the feeling-out process has been trial by fire.
"Obviously we're in the middle of conference play, but you're really in the infancy of a 22-match season," said CMU coach Mike Gawlik, whose team won the MAC West last season and was picked to finish atop the division in the preseason coaches poll. "Although you try to hit the ground running (to open the season), you're still working through people in different roles, balancing out the load a little bit differently.
"You have people in different positions, you have freshmen; you're kind of working through all of that for the first time. We've really been working on not only our team chemistry but our court chemistry."
Individuals
CMU's Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez ranks second in the MAC in hitting percentage (.485) and is fourth in blocks per set (1.10). Teammate Savannah Thompson is sixth in kills per set (3.90).
Scouting
The Huskies defeated Toledo in five sets in the opener of their two-match series last week and then dropped the finale in three sets.
NIU is eighth in the conference in hitting percentage (.164) and 10th in kills per set (10.75). They are fourth in blocks per set (2.06).
Sophomore outside hitter Katie Jablonski leads the Huskies in kills (48) and kills per set (3.0) on a .174 hitting percentage.
Next
The Chippewas are scheduled to go to Western Michigan on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 11-12.
The Chippewas and Huskies will square off on Thursday (6 p.m.) and then conclude the series on Friday (2 p.m.).
Both teams are 1-3 both overall and in the MAC., and in a three-way tie with Toledo for third place in the West Division. The Chippewas were swept last week at home by Kent State; the Huskies split two home matches with Toledo.
Where They Stand
The Chippewas are fourth in the MAC in kills per set (13.6) and rank seventh in hitting percentage (.199).
CMU opponents are hitting .304 against the Chippewas, who are fifth in the league in blocks (1.9 per set).
Consistency, particularly on defense, is critical as the Chippewas traverse a most unusual winter season featuring 22 matches, all against MAC opponents. Without any preseason weekend tournaments – in a typical year, the Chippewas would have played a dozen or so nonleaguers before beginning MAC play – the feeling-out process has been trial by fire.
"Obviously we're in the middle of conference play, but you're really in the infancy of a 22-match season," said CMU coach Mike Gawlik, whose team won the MAC West last season and was picked to finish atop the division in the preseason coaches poll. "Although you try to hit the ground running (to open the season), you're still working through people in different roles, balancing out the load a little bit differently.
"You have people in different positions, you have freshmen; you're kind of working through all of that for the first time. We've really been working on not only our team chemistry but our court chemistry."
Individuals
CMU's Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez ranks second in the MAC in hitting percentage (.485) and is fourth in blocks per set (1.10). Teammate Savannah Thompson is sixth in kills per set (3.90).
Scouting
The Huskies defeated Toledo in five sets in the opener of their two-match series last week and then dropped the finale in three sets.
NIU is eighth in the conference in hitting percentage (.164) and 10th in kills per set (10.75). They are fourth in blocks per set (2.06).
Sophomore outside hitter Katie Jablonski leads the Huskies in kills (48) and kills per set (3.0) on a .174 hitting percentage.
Next
The Chippewas are scheduled to go to Western Michigan on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 11-12.
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