Volleyball Beats Eastern, Remains In Hunt For MAC Tournament Berth

Tuesday, March 23

Ypsilanti, MI

6 P.M.

Central Michigan University

11-9,11-9MAC

Eastern Michigan

7-11,7-11MAC

Central Mich.

Eastern Mich.

Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22

Volleyball Beats Eastern, Remains In Hunt For MAC Tournament Berth

3/23/2021 9:33:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Julia Bice, CMUChippewas.com

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- A crucial game for the Chippewa volleyball team and an outcome that keeps CMU in the hunt.

Savannah Thompson had 15 kills on a .244 hitting percentage on Tuesday, leading the Chippewas to a 25-15, 16-25, 25-19, 25-16 victory over Eastern Michigan at the Eagles' Convocation Center.

The Chippewas improved to 11-9 as they remain in the hunt for a berth in the league tournament next week. They also avenged last week's five-set loss to the Eagles (7-11).

CMU is set to welcome Miami (Ohio) for a two-match set this weekend. The RedHawks are 11-8 and are one of the Chippewas' chief rivals for a spot in the league tourney.

"We still have some work to do, but I feel like we took a good step forward today," CMU coach Mike Gawlik said. "More than anything, we have to focus on the last two matches of the season to give us better odds (of a tournament berth)."

The Chippewas and RedHawks are scheduled to play at McGuirk Arena on Friday (6 p.m.) and on Saturday (2 p.m.).

Sharing the Spotlight
Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez contributed eight kills and seven blocks for the Chippewas with a .333 hitting percentage on the night. Anna Erickson was not far behind with seven kills, and Grace Butler added 23 assists and five digs.

The Chippewas recorded a season-high 13 blocks and their service pressure was critical, coach Mike Gawlik said.

"Our service pressure was pretty good," he said. "Lacey Juengel and Kam Olson brought some great service pressure with (Rosario-Martinez) and they all did a fantastic job of keeping (the Eagles) on their heels."

Freshmen Phenoms
Three days after posting a career high 10 kills in a win over Ball State, freshman Elly Medendorp posted nine kills on a .533 hitting percentage and also had five blocks. Olson, also a freshman, continued her solid play as well, recording 19 assists.

Last Minute Changes
Hannah Warners stepped in at the last minute for CMU at libero and performed admirable, Gawlik said.

"She stepped into a role that kind of happened in a flurry and was still able to get 17 digs for us tonight, which I thought was great," Gawlik said.