Volleyball Sweeps Eastern, Improves To 5-4 In MAC

Wednesday, October 19

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

6 p.m.

Central Michigan University

12-8,5-4MAC

Eastern Michigan

3-18,2-7MAC

Eastern Mich.

Central Mich.

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

10/19/2022 10:05:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Katherine Schultz, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – After being handed back-to-back losses at Bowling Green last weekend, the Central Michigan volleyball team fought hard for its redemption on Wednesday.

A pair of gritty, come-from-behind set wins propelled the Chippewas to take down Mid-American Conference opponent Eastern Michigan in straight sets, 25-18, 25-22, 26-24, at McGuirk Arena.

CMU is 12-8, 5-4 MAC. EMU is 3-18, 2-7.

"We just wanted to be more aggressive," said CMU coach Mike Gawlik on his team's key late-set performances. "We fell behind in sets two and three with a little bit of passive volleyball, rolling and tipping a few too many and we had to turn it up and be a lot more aggressive from the service line, (with) our attacking and our decision making.

"If you took the second half of (sets two and three) you would see that we played really well down the stretch … and I think the messaging becomes that our focus is 'We're going to win this set' not 'Let's just win set four or hope we win in five;' it's to fight for the next point and that's something we work on."

The Chippewas jumped out to a strong start in the opening set and forced the Eagles' first timeout at a 9-2 lead. In return, EMU scored 10 of the next 12 points to go ahead, 12-11, to force a CMU timeout. The teams tied four times before a 9-2 CMU run to seal the deal.

Patience paid off in set two as the Chippewas and the Eagles knotted the score 10 times through the set, the last at 22-22. The final three points moved in favor as the Chippewas went up two sets.

EMU found its first solid lead of the match in the final set, leading 9-5 and 20-14. Determined, the Chippewas bounced back with a 4-0 run to draw within 20-18 and forcing an EMU timeout. CMU got three straight kills from Mallory Hernandez as the Chippewas claimed seven of the last 11 points to capture the set and the match.

Hernandez led the Chippewas with 12 kills, while Natalia Rejment tallied 11 and posted a team-best .346 hitting percentage.

CMU freshman setter Claire Ammeraal contributed 29 assists with six kills, 12 digs and three blocks.

Maddie Whitfield led with five of CMU's nine total blocks and libero Aly Gurtiza made 11 digs.

The Chippewas are scheduled to host a pair of MAC matches with Miami (Ohio) this weekend at McGuirk Arena. The Chippewas and RedHawks are set to meet on Saturday, Oct. 22 (6 p.m.) and on Sunday, Oct. 23 (3 p.m.). The RedHawks are 6-14, 1-8 MAC after falling in straight sets to Bowling Green on Wednesday.

"In the locker room we talked about this being the end of the first half of MAC play," said Gawlik, whose team dropped two MAC matches, both in straight sets, last weekend to MAC East-leading Bowling Green. "This is the ninth match, here we are at 4-4 and we want to put ourselves in a good spot that in the end of the first half. We'll be 5-4, and we'll worry about the second half later.

"It's a rebound game, we played Bowling Green and they're a good team, but we've got to be ready every night. If you've had a rough set or you're frustrated about losing a match, then you've got to get over that quickly.

"I don't know that we've talked too much about last weekend other than that it's an opportunity to cap off the front half of the MAC season, but I like where we're at right now. We've got Miami coming into our building and we've got to get ready for them over the next few days."