Central Michigan University
6-5,0-0MAC
UW-Green Bay
2-9,0-0Horizon
Volleyball Rebounds Against Host Green Bay in Sweep Fashion
9/15/2023 10:26:00 PM | Volleyball
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Central Michigan volleyball bounced back in a big way on Friday, taking down UW-Green Bay (2-9), host of the Capital Credit Union Classic via the sweep.Â
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It was the kind of performance Head Coach Mike Gawlik was looking for after the loss to St. Thomas (MN) on Thursday.
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"We challenged the group today to make changes and start out stronger," Gawlik said. "We came right out of the gates playing the host team, and I thought we had really good energy and focus right from the get-go."
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The energy and focus was evident as the Chippewas (6-5) set the tone in set one, taking it 25-12 in dominant fashion. Leading the way was junior opposite Krystina Kasson, who scored CMU's first four points consecutively and finished the set with six kills on an impressive .556 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Claire Ammeraal posted 13 assists, helping CMU to a .472 hitting percentage as a team in the set.
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"We never really let Green Bay get out of the gates in set one," Gawlik said. "It was all Chippewas in set one."
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Sets two and three were more closely contested, but CMU never waivered. An eight-point run in set two saw the Chippewas fall to a 11-15 deficit. CMU responded by trading a few points with the Phoenix before going on a run of their own, scoring six straight points to go up 19-18. The two teams evened up the score at 25, after which the Chippewas closed out the set behind kills from Kasson and senior defensive specialist, Kayla Brandon.
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Set three opened with CMU facing a quick 1-5 disadvantage after scoring the first point of the set. Despite early offensive production from Kasson, sophomore middle blocker Brooklyn Conner and sophomore outside hitter Maddy Gebhardt, the Chippewas found themselves in a 12-20 hole. However, similar to the prior set, they hung around and continually challenged Green Bay. CMU managed to score 14 of the next 18 points, emerging victorious by a score of 27-25 and earning the sweep.
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"Something that we're working on a lot is that our confidence isn't based on eight or 10 ball stretches," Gawlik said. "We're not going to break down over three or four minutes even if it isn't a great stretch for us."
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Kasson finished the match with a team-leading 13 kills, followed closely by junior outside hitter Lauren Schrock who notched 12 of her own behind a .556 hitting percentage. Junior libero Aly Gurtiza dug out 20 balls, while Gebhardt had three of CMU's six service aces on the night. The Chippewas hit at a clip of .351 across the three sets.
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The 20 digs for Gurtiza is not out of the ordinary, however what Gawlik wanted to highlight was the quality of the digs for the libero. "I thought Aly Gurtiza played a really great match and I don't think that can be understated. Her dig quality, our ability to attack balls from her digs was very high today. We talked at length last night, after a match nobody was proud of, and I challenged her to just stay in her lane and be great. To be the player we know she can be. I felt she did a 10/10 job at just being a really great libero tonight."
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The win came as an overall for the team after an exciting morning spent exploring the Milk Source Farm in  Outagamie County, Wis. - partially owned by Linnea Willer's father, Todd. As fun as that was for the team, Coach Gawlik thinks that activities like that are what create success for the group on the floor. "As goofy as it may seem, going to the farm today helps us be our best. We are our best when we are connected. Spending the day at the farm just reconnects the group after it can feel fractured after you lose a match the day before. I think when we are connected, that is when we play our best ball. We wanted our focus today to be on making each ball the best it can be for our teammate to play. I think that really shined today and is a bright look ahead for this group."
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CMU will close out its play with a midday match on Saturday with South Dakota, set for 1 p.m. ET.Â
l Michigan volleyball bounced back in a big way on Friday, taking down UW-Green Bay (2-9), host of the Capital Credit Union Classic via the sweep.Â
Â
It was the kind of performance Head Coach Mike Gawlik was looking for after the loss to St. Thomas (MN) on Thursday.
Â
"We challenged the group today to make changes and start out stronger," Gawlik said. "We came right out of the gates playing the host team, and I thought we had really good energy and focus right from the get-go."
Â
The energy and focus was evident as the Chippewas (6-5) set the tone in set one, taking it 25-12 in dominant fashion. Leading the way was junior opposite Krystina Kasson, who scored CMU's first four points consecutively and finished the set with six kills on an impressive .556 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Claire Ammeraal posted 13 assists, helping CMU to a .472 hitting percentage as a team in the set.
Â
"We never really let Green Bay get out of the gates in set one," Gawlik said. "It was all Chippewas in set one."
Â
Sets two and three were more closely contested, but CMU never waivered. An eight-point run in set two saw the Chippewas fall to a 11-15 deficit. CMU responded by trading a few points with the Phoenix before going on a run of their own, scoring six straight points to go up 19-18. The two teams evened up the score at 25, after which the Chippewas closed out the set behind kills from Kasson and senior defensive specialist, Kayla Brandon.
Â
Set three opened with CMU facing a quick 1-5 disadvantage after scoring the first point of the set. Despite early offensive production from Kasson, sophomore middle blocker Brooklyn Conner and sophomore outside hitter Maddy Gebhardt, the Chippewas found themselves in a 12-20 hole. However, similar to the prior set, they hung around and continually challenged Green Bay. CMU managed to score 14 of the next 18 points, emerging victorious by a score of 27-25 and earning the sweep.
Â
"Something that we're working on a lot is that our confidence isn't based on eight or 10 ball stretches," Gawlik said. "We're not going to break down over three or four minutes even if it isn't a great stretch for us."
Â
Kasson finished the match with a team-leading 13 kills, followed closely by junior outside hitter Lauren Schrock who notched 12 of her own behind a .556 hitting percentage. Junior libero Aly Gurtiza dug out 20 balls, while Gebhardt had three of CMU's six service aces on the night. The Chippewas hit at a clip of .351 across the three sets.
Â
The 20 digs for Gurtiza is not out of the ordinary, however what Gawlik wanted to highlight was the quality of the digs for the libero. "I thought Aly Gurtiza played a really great match and I don't think that can be understated. Her dig quality, our ability to attack balls from her digs was very high today. We talked at length last night, after a match nobody was proud of, and I challenged her to just stay in her lane and be great. To be the player we know she can be. I felt she did a 10/10 job at just being a really great libero tonight."
Â
The win came as an overall for the team after an exciting morning spent exploring the Milk Source Farm in  Outagamie County, Wis. - partially owned by Linnea Willer's father, Todd. As fun as that was for the team, Coach Gawlik thinks that activities like that are what create success for the group on the floor. "As goofy as it may seem, going to the farm today helps us be our best. We are our best when we are connected. Spending the day at the farm just reconnects the group after it can feel fractured after you lose a match the day before. I think when we are connected, that is when we play our best ball. We wanted our focus today to be on making each ball the best it can be for our teammate to play. I think that really shined today and is a bright look ahead for this group."
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CMU will close out its play with a midday match on Saturday with South Dakota, set for 1 p.m. ET.Â
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