Wednesday, November 15
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
6:00 PM
Central Michigan University
15-15,9-9MAC
3
vs
2
Eastern Michigan
5-25,3-15MAC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Eastern Mich.
25
26
23
14
12
2
Central Mich.
18
24
25
25
15
3
Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography
Chippewa Volleyball Closes the Book on 2023 Season with Five-Set Win over Eastern Michigan
11/15/2023 10:29:00 PM | Volleyball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan Volleyball team concluded its 2023 season on Wednesday with a five-set victory over Eastern Michigan.
This was the second time the teams met this year, and the second time the Chippewas won in five sets.
After dropping the first two sets, CMU rallied back and completed the reverse sweep to close out its season.
"We really stunk in set one." said Head Coach Mike Gawlik, who has now completed eight seasons at the helm of Chippewa Volleyball. "We didn't play very well last weekend (against Ohio). Maybe because it was a big weekend for us, there was a lot on the line, and well fell short of our goal last weekend.
"Tonight, there was less on the line. Some people would say that it doesn't matter. But it mattered to us, and it certainly mattered to them (Eastern Michigan). Anytime you put on your jersey, you want to compete to represent yourself, your team, and your university at the highest level."
Both CMU and EMU were mathematically eliminated from the Mid-American Conference Tournament prior to Wednesday night's match. The Eagles finished their season at 5-25 overall and 3-15 in the MAC, while CMU finished at .500 all around, 15-15 overall and 9-9 in the MAC.
How the Night Unfolded
CMU opened the night flat, having hit just .020 in set one. The Chippewas registered nine kills for their 18 points earned in the set. Eastern Michigan did not offensively play significantly better, but eight attack errors by CMU offered the Eagles the set win.
The Chippewas washed away set one and rebounded early in the second set. They hit .359 in the second set, which was a large highlight for Coach Gawlik.
"After set one we pushed back, and we as a staff challenged our athletes," Gawlik said. "In set two, I think we played a pretty complete set & were in a position where we could have won it."
Central Michigan led 23-21 late in the set, and they let it slip away for a 26-24 victory to EMU.
"We hit really well," said Gawlik. "We just didn't convert on some key points and couldn't come up with enough stops."
The end of set two turned the key into a seemingly new CMU team that was ready to fight for a victory.
"I really felt that from there on out (the end of set two) we really made a decision," Gawlik said. "We came out and won a close one in set three and I think from then on, it was all Chippewas. We had momentum."
CMU went on to win the third set, 25-23, to start its reverse sweep.
Set four was all CMU in a 25-14 victory and again in the fifth set with a 15-12 win. The Chippewas were first to eight in the fifth, but not by much. The teams rotated sides at 8-7 in favor of the Maroon & Gold and would scrap out a 7-5 run to close the night.
Gawlik told his team to rely on their experience, as the Chippewas have now won 7 five-set matches in their 2023 season while only dropping three.
"We were saying in the huddle, if we can just stay in it, if we can kind of just put some pressure on them, we felt like our experience in set four and five this season and winning in those situations would be something that would benefit us. We kept asking our athletes to be aggressive and apply pressure."
Whole Squad Showed Up to Party
The Chippewas used 14 of their 17 active roster members in the victory, something coach Gawlik thinks is what helped them secure the victory.
"We had some people really show up for us tonight, and some in reserve roles," Gawlik said. "We made a sub to go with Devon Bright there who offers some attacking for us and she goes on to kill match point.
"I am ecstatic for her. She has been in and out of the lineup for us all year, and to have her come through for us in a final moment to earn match point for the final kill of her collegiate career, I think is a really special thing. I know she worked incredibly hard this season and I am really grateful that she got that moment."
Elly Medendorp played her final match for the Maroon & Gold after four seasons in the middle blocker position.
Medendorp hit .526 on the night with 10 kills and no attack errors, adding to that was four blocks from the senior.
"Elly just had a lights-out match," Gawlik said. "She kind of paved the way for us tonight. She doesn't get a ton of balls, but she is incredibly efficient with the balls she does get."
Junior opposite Krystina Kasson was critical to the Chippewas' turnaround and made a vast improvement from hitting .143 in set one with only two kills. She ended the night with 14 kills and hitting .414.
"Kass rebounded from hitting not well in set one, but then going on to really rally and get some big kills for us," Gawlik said. "That was really important."
Kasson also recorded three blocks on the night.
"(We had) 26 digs from Aly Gurtiza, who was pretty banged up at the end of set four," Gawlik added. "Aly battled a knee injury all season and it was really flaring up before set five.
Gurtiza, who led all players in digs, made the move into 5th all time in CMU history at the end of her junior year.
"I asked her to be honest with me, look me in the eyes and tell me she would help us win. She said yes, and I told her I wanted her out there. She really gutted it out tonight. When you have people like that who are gutting it out, you know you have a pretty good group."
Brooklyn Conner made an appearance for the Chippewas in the set three and was vital in the offensive production from then onward. She added 11 kills for Central Michigan on 18 attempts.
"I hope that really catapults (Brooklyn) into the offseason to work her tail off and come back being a real force in the conference for the next couple of years," Gawlik said of the sophomore. "To sit dormant for two sets, and then kill four balls a set is pretty big time."
Central Michigan also saw significant production from Natalia Rejment who made her first appearance in the front row for CMU in the win. She killed 10 balls, dug 11 and served three aces.
Claire Ammeraal posted another double-double with 50 assists and 17 digs, paired with seven kills.
Closing the Chapter on the Season
Injuries were a problem for CMU earlier in the season as they were without Kasson and Rejment for the first half of conference play, something Gawlik thinks would have made a difference if the pair were able to compete for the first half.
"I wish we could go back and play this entire season with 17 healthy bodies, said Gawlik. "Krystina was playing really well in the beginning of the year, missing her for eight conference matches, missing Natalia for nine conference matches is not ideal, and I think once we got to full strength, we were pretty good."
Although the 2023 season may have started rocky for the Chippewas, it definitely ended on a high note. After entering conference play with a 6-6 record, Central Michigan would go on to drop five of their first seven conference matches. After that stretch, the Chippewas strung together a six-game win streak and ended the season 7-2.
"I think we were playing some really good volleyball in the second half of the conference season, and I am disappointed the MAC only takes six teams to the tournament," Gawlik said. "I think it is really a travesty when a team wins half of their matches and does not get the opportunity to participate in post-season."
Gawlik notes significant growth for the volleyball program throughout the year, having been a team that returned only four players who saw true court time in 2022. The eighth-year coach saw incredible growth and talent from those who had been waiting for their shot.
Lauren Schrock, Krystina Kasson, Linnea Willer and Maddy Gebhardt – all underclassmen in the 2022 season, played incredibly impactful positions and roles for the Chippewas in the season that now concludes.
"I think we grew a lot," Gawlik said. "We had a lot of people in positions early on in the year that were taking on a different load, and there were some really bright moments in a lot of players. That was exhibited tonight by flashing our depth and some people.
"We had a lot of people contribute not only in this season but tonight. Devon, Brooklyn, Alina Anderson, Emma Dukate – this is not the first match they have played in, but they come in and play their role in big moments and they do it very well for us."
The Central Michigan Volleyball team says goodbye to four seniors: Devon Bright, Austyn DeWeese, Kayla Brandon, and Elly Medendorp, all individuals coach Gawlik will miss and provided strong valued to the program.
"We now say goodbye to four really special seniors…that is tough. It is tough to take that jersey off for the final time. Obviously they will always represent the Maroon & Gold, it is bittersweet, but I am glad that we could send them off with a win."
This was the second time the teams met this year, and the second time the Chippewas won in five sets.
After dropping the first two sets, CMU rallied back and completed the reverse sweep to close out its season.
"We really stunk in set one." said Head Coach Mike Gawlik, who has now completed eight seasons at the helm of Chippewa Volleyball. "We didn't play very well last weekend (against Ohio). Maybe because it was a big weekend for us, there was a lot on the line, and well fell short of our goal last weekend.
"Tonight, there was less on the line. Some people would say that it doesn't matter. But it mattered to us, and it certainly mattered to them (Eastern Michigan). Anytime you put on your jersey, you want to compete to represent yourself, your team, and your university at the highest level."
Both CMU and EMU were mathematically eliminated from the Mid-American Conference Tournament prior to Wednesday night's match. The Eagles finished their season at 5-25 overall and 3-15 in the MAC, while CMU finished at .500 all around, 15-15 overall and 9-9 in the MAC.
How the Night Unfolded
CMU opened the night flat, having hit just .020 in set one. The Chippewas registered nine kills for their 18 points earned in the set. Eastern Michigan did not offensively play significantly better, but eight attack errors by CMU offered the Eagles the set win.
The Chippewas washed away set one and rebounded early in the second set. They hit .359 in the second set, which was a large highlight for Coach Gawlik.
"After set one we pushed back, and we as a staff challenged our athletes," Gawlik said. "In set two, I think we played a pretty complete set & were in a position where we could have won it."
Central Michigan led 23-21 late in the set, and they let it slip away for a 26-24 victory to EMU.
"We hit really well," said Gawlik. "We just didn't convert on some key points and couldn't come up with enough stops."
The end of set two turned the key into a seemingly new CMU team that was ready to fight for a victory.
"I really felt that from there on out (the end of set two) we really made a decision," Gawlik said. "We came out and won a close one in set three and I think from then on, it was all Chippewas. We had momentum."
CMU went on to win the third set, 25-23, to start its reverse sweep.
Set four was all CMU in a 25-14 victory and again in the fifth set with a 15-12 win. The Chippewas were first to eight in the fifth, but not by much. The teams rotated sides at 8-7 in favor of the Maroon & Gold and would scrap out a 7-5 run to close the night.
Gawlik told his team to rely on their experience, as the Chippewas have now won 7 five-set matches in their 2023 season while only dropping three.
"We were saying in the huddle, if we can just stay in it, if we can kind of just put some pressure on them, we felt like our experience in set four and five this season and winning in those situations would be something that would benefit us. We kept asking our athletes to be aggressive and apply pressure."
Whole Squad Showed Up to Party
The Chippewas used 14 of their 17 active roster members in the victory, something coach Gawlik thinks is what helped them secure the victory.
"We had some people really show up for us tonight, and some in reserve roles," Gawlik said. "We made a sub to go with Devon Bright there who offers some attacking for us and she goes on to kill match point.
"I am ecstatic for her. She has been in and out of the lineup for us all year, and to have her come through for us in a final moment to earn match point for the final kill of her collegiate career, I think is a really special thing. I know she worked incredibly hard this season and I am really grateful that she got that moment."
Elly Medendorp played her final match for the Maroon & Gold after four seasons in the middle blocker position.
Medendorp hit .526 on the night with 10 kills and no attack errors, adding to that was four blocks from the senior.
"Elly just had a lights-out match," Gawlik said. "She kind of paved the way for us tonight. She doesn't get a ton of balls, but she is incredibly efficient with the balls she does get."
Junior opposite Krystina Kasson was critical to the Chippewas' turnaround and made a vast improvement from hitting .143 in set one with only two kills. She ended the night with 14 kills and hitting .414.
"Kass rebounded from hitting not well in set one, but then going on to really rally and get some big kills for us," Gawlik said. "That was really important."
Kasson also recorded three blocks on the night.
"(We had) 26 digs from Aly Gurtiza, who was pretty banged up at the end of set four," Gawlik added. "Aly battled a knee injury all season and it was really flaring up before set five.
Gurtiza, who led all players in digs, made the move into 5th all time in CMU history at the end of her junior year.
"I asked her to be honest with me, look me in the eyes and tell me she would help us win. She said yes, and I told her I wanted her out there. She really gutted it out tonight. When you have people like that who are gutting it out, you know you have a pretty good group."
Brooklyn Conner made an appearance for the Chippewas in the set three and was vital in the offensive production from then onward. She added 11 kills for Central Michigan on 18 attempts.
"I hope that really catapults (Brooklyn) into the offseason to work her tail off and come back being a real force in the conference for the next couple of years," Gawlik said of the sophomore. "To sit dormant for two sets, and then kill four balls a set is pretty big time."
Central Michigan also saw significant production from Natalia Rejment who made her first appearance in the front row for CMU in the win. She killed 10 balls, dug 11 and served three aces.
Claire Ammeraal posted another double-double with 50 assists and 17 digs, paired with seven kills.
Closing the Chapter on the Season
Injuries were a problem for CMU earlier in the season as they were without Kasson and Rejment for the first half of conference play, something Gawlik thinks would have made a difference if the pair were able to compete for the first half.
"I wish we could go back and play this entire season with 17 healthy bodies, said Gawlik. "Krystina was playing really well in the beginning of the year, missing her for eight conference matches, missing Natalia for nine conference matches is not ideal, and I think once we got to full strength, we were pretty good."
Although the 2023 season may have started rocky for the Chippewas, it definitely ended on a high note. After entering conference play with a 6-6 record, Central Michigan would go on to drop five of their first seven conference matches. After that stretch, the Chippewas strung together a six-game win streak and ended the season 7-2.
"I think we were playing some really good volleyball in the second half of the conference season, and I am disappointed the MAC only takes six teams to the tournament," Gawlik said. "I think it is really a travesty when a team wins half of their matches and does not get the opportunity to participate in post-season."
Gawlik notes significant growth for the volleyball program throughout the year, having been a team that returned only four players who saw true court time in 2022. The eighth-year coach saw incredible growth and talent from those who had been waiting for their shot.
Lauren Schrock, Krystina Kasson, Linnea Willer and Maddy Gebhardt – all underclassmen in the 2022 season, played incredibly impactful positions and roles for the Chippewas in the season that now concludes.
"I think we grew a lot," Gawlik said. "We had a lot of people in positions early on in the year that were taking on a different load, and there were some really bright moments in a lot of players. That was exhibited tonight by flashing our depth and some people.
"We had a lot of people contribute not only in this season but tonight. Devon, Brooklyn, Alina Anderson, Emma Dukate – this is not the first match they have played in, but they come in and play their role in big moments and they do it very well for us."
The Central Michigan Volleyball team says goodbye to four seniors: Devon Bright, Austyn DeWeese, Kayla Brandon, and Elly Medendorp, all individuals coach Gawlik will miss and provided strong valued to the program.
"We now say goodbye to four really special seniors…that is tough. It is tough to take that jersey off for the final time. Obviously they will always represent the Maroon & Gold, it is bittersweet, but I am glad that we could send them off with a win."
Team Stats
EMU
CMU
Kills
61
67
Errors
26
20
Attempts
176
185
Hitting %
.199
.254
Points
75.0
79.0
Assists
57
60
Aces
7
6
Blocks
7
6
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
10
Aces
3
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ VolleyballOPP
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OPP/OH
/ VolleyballInterview With Adam Jaksa and Arielle Wilson
Tuesday, August 26
BTS Volleyball Media Day
Thursday, August 07
Volleyball Passing Out Donuts
Thursday, April 10
Volleyball Sign Question
Tuesday, February 11