Central Michigan University
14-14,8-8MAC
Ohio
16-12,11-5MAC
"Pressure is a Privilege" for Volleyball After Dropping Night One to Ohio
11/10/2023 7:54:00 PM | Volleyball
Mount Pleasant, Mich. -- Central Michigan Volleyball saw its winning streak come to an end on Thursday night as the Chippewas fell to Ohio in straight sets. CMU falls to 14-14 overall and 8-8 in the MAC while Ohio moves to 16-12 overall and 11-5 in conference play. The victory for Ohio clinched them a spot in the 2023 Mid-American Conference Tournament that will be hosted in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Prior to the match, CMU had won its previous six contests. However, the Chippewas struggled with offensive production, hitting .087 on the night with 24 attack errors. On the topic, head coach Mike Gawlik said "I think we just need to play better. I don't think like we played very well in a lot of phases tonight. Our serving has been a really big weapon for us lately and I think there was a combination of them (Ohio) passing really well and us not serving very tough."
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Set one saw CMU spread out the production fairly evenly, although it had trouble putting runs together. Junior opposite Krystina Kasson had a pair of kills, while a host of other Chippewas chipped in one each.
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In set two, the offense picked up a bit. Junior opposite Linnea Willer and junior outside Lauren Schrock had four kills each, as CMU was able to limit Bobcats' runs a bit before ultimately falling 25-21 in the set.Â
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Schrock followed suit in the third set, besting her set two mark with five as the Chippewas fell 25-21 again.
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Schrock led the way for the Chippewas with 10 kills, while Kasson and Willer followed closely behind with six apiece. Junior Libero managed to get into double figures in digs with ten, while sophomore setter Claire Ammeraal led CMU in assists with 26. Kasson was the top Chippewa in blocks with two.
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Central Michigan is battling for a berth to the Mid-American Conference Tournament for a second straight season under their eighth-year head coach. Gawlik believes that having pressure to play for something is a privilege his team must embrace and use as motivation.Â
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"We have practiced every day to prepare for this moment. I think when you feel those nerves or those butterflies, you have to lean into those. That was our message to our athletes in the locker room before the game. If we are feeling those things, that is great! That means we are playing in games and moments that matter to us. The only way to go where we want to go is by playing through games that have this kind of feeling."
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CMU will take on Ohio again on Friday (Nov. 11) to close out their series with the Bobcats. The match will begin at 5 p.m. ET and will conclude with a senior day celebration.Â
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