Saturday, September 24
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
4 p.m.
Central Michigan University
9-4,2-0MAC
3
vs
2
Ball State
8-6,0-2MAC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Ball St.
25
25
20
22
17
2
Central Mich.
23
12
25
25
19
3
Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography
Volleyball Rallies For Dramatic 5-Set Win, Sweeps Weekend Series
9/24/2022 9:23:00 PM | Volleyball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – There's something about a team that has the capability to come all the way back.
Central Michigan volleyball coach Mike Gawlik calls it grit.
The Chippewas downed defending Mid-American Conference champion Ball State for the second straight day on Saturday, this time in five sets, at McGuirk Arena to complete the league-opening weekend sweep.
CMU, which is 9-4 and 2-0 MAC, goes to Toledo on Thursday, Sept. 29 (6 p.m.) and Friday, Sept. 30 (6 p.m.). The Rockets are 9-4, 2-0 after taking down Eastern Michigan in straight sets on Thursday and Friday.
Ball State won the first two sets, 25-23, 25-12, when Gawlik's squad pushed forth with leaps and bounds to begin the ultimate turnaround winning the next two, 25-20 and 25-22, to send it to the fifth and deciding set.
The true test came in the finale, during which the Chippewas found themselves facing match point four times, the first at 12-14 and the last at 16-17.
Natalia Rejment recorded a kill to tie it at 17; Maddie Whitfield and Mallory Hernandez put CMU in front, 18-17, with a double block to force an attack error; and then Hernandez finished off the dramatic comeback with her 12th kill of the night, giving the Chippewas the set, 19-17, and the match.
"I wouldn't say it looked bleak, but you've got to dig deep in those moments and find plays," Gawlik said. "One of our pillars is grit, the ability to just constantly keep going defensively and offensively, to take the swing.
"That's the mantra in set fives: we're going to play to win and we're going to go for it."
Rejment, a freshman outside hitter, led the Chippewas with 14 kills, 19 digs and three aces. Anna Erickson followed with 11 kills and libero Aly Gurtiza finished with 25 digs.
Whitfield, a senior middle blocker, finished with a team-high seven blocks and six kills. Hernandez had six blocks. Freshman setter Claire Ammeraal posted a triple-double, consisting of a career-high 11 kills and 13 digs, along with 39 assists.
"I really thought that Ball State played an excellent match and I thought we played an excellent match," Gawlik said. "It was one of the more fun matches I can remember. I'm sure that's colored by the fact that we won, and it just happened, but I just thought our grit was really excellent, outside of set two. We played another back-to-back match that I hope we're really proud of."
Central Michigan volleyball coach Mike Gawlik calls it grit.
The Chippewas downed defending Mid-American Conference champion Ball State for the second straight day on Saturday, this time in five sets, at McGuirk Arena to complete the league-opening weekend sweep.
CMU, which is 9-4 and 2-0 MAC, goes to Toledo on Thursday, Sept. 29 (6 p.m.) and Friday, Sept. 30 (6 p.m.). The Rockets are 9-4, 2-0 after taking down Eastern Michigan in straight sets on Thursday and Friday.
Ball State won the first two sets, 25-23, 25-12, when Gawlik's squad pushed forth with leaps and bounds to begin the ultimate turnaround winning the next two, 25-20 and 25-22, to send it to the fifth and deciding set.
The true test came in the finale, during which the Chippewas found themselves facing match point four times, the first at 12-14 and the last at 16-17.
Natalia Rejment recorded a kill to tie it at 17; Maddie Whitfield and Mallory Hernandez put CMU in front, 18-17, with a double block to force an attack error; and then Hernandez finished off the dramatic comeback with her 12th kill of the night, giving the Chippewas the set, 19-17, and the match.
"I wouldn't say it looked bleak, but you've got to dig deep in those moments and find plays," Gawlik said. "One of our pillars is grit, the ability to just constantly keep going defensively and offensively, to take the swing.
"That's the mantra in set fives: we're going to play to win and we're going to go for it."
Rejment, a freshman outside hitter, led the Chippewas with 14 kills, 19 digs and three aces. Anna Erickson followed with 11 kills and libero Aly Gurtiza finished with 25 digs.
Whitfield, a senior middle blocker, finished with a team-high seven blocks and six kills. Hernandez had six blocks. Freshman setter Claire Ammeraal posted a triple-double, consisting of a career-high 11 kills and 13 digs, along with 39 assists.
"I really thought that Ball State played an excellent match and I thought we played an excellent match," Gawlik said. "It was one of the more fun matches I can remember. I'm sure that's colored by the fact that we won, and it just happened, but I just thought our grit was really excellent, outside of set two. We played another back-to-back match that I hope we're really proud of."
Team Stats
BSU
CMU
Kills
67
62
Errors
30
15
Attempts
208
190
Hitting %
.178
.247
Points
85
79
Assists
60
47
Aces
13
5
Blocks
5
12
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
3
Blocks
2
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
Setter
/ VolleyballOpposite/Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Libero/Defensive Specialist
/ VolleyballOutside Hitter
/ VolleyballOutside Hitter
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Middle Blocker
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BTS Volleyball Media Day
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Volleyball Passing Out Donuts
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