Volleyball splits weekend with a pair of four-set matches
(10/21/13 7:00am)
[caption id="attachment_162720" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
[caption id="attachment_162720" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Central Michigan Life staff reporter Joe Judd spoke with senior setter Kelly Maxwell as volleyball prepares for its next match against Miami on Friday night in Oxford, Ohio. What made you want to come play volleyball at Central Michigan University? Kelly Maxwell: I really liked the atmosphere and the environment that the coaches and players bring.
[caption id="attachment_162236" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
CMU saw a career-best performance from skilled veteran Katie Schuette on Thursday night in its sweep of Eastern Michigan. The fifth-year outside hitter and middle blocker was part of a relentless Chippewas attack, keeping them in the lead for most of the night against the Eagles. Schuette finished the evening with a match-high total of 12 kills and 12 digs, helping her team secure an important win against a conference foe.
After sweeping Eastern Michigan Thursday, volleyball was swept by Kent State on Saturday Even though the team was swept, it played one of its closest, most physical matches of the season.
Junior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre is one week removed from joining the 1,000-kill club and is playing some of the best volleyball of her career. Volleyball was swept by Kent State, but that does not take away from the performance she turned in on Saturday.
Central Michigan will play Kent State in a crucial in-conference match on Saturday at 7 p.m. at McGuirk Arena. While the team spent much of the week focusing on Thursday night’s opponent, Eastern Michigan, head coach Erik Olson said his team is looking forward to playing the Golden Flashes, who had won seven of their past 11 games prior to Thursday. “Kent State’s hot right now,” Olson said.
Senior defensive specialist Jenna Coates had a night to remember in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Northern Illinois (11-7, 3-1 MAC), as she broke volleyball's four-set dig record with 37. Coates’ 67 digs last weekend moved her up to seventh in the nation with 5.72 digs per set this season.
When it was discovered that senior setter Kelley Maxwell would not travel with the team last weekend due to injury, the team was in need of a replacement. The Chippewas found their replacement in junior setter Danielle Thompson. Spending a majority of the season on the bench, Thompson has been patiently waiting for her opportunity.
Volleyball senior setter Kelly Maxwell was on the court despite being questionable after missing the last weekend and not traveling with the team. She was assessed throughout the week and cleared to play by head coach Erik Olson and she lead her team to the 3-0 sweep against at Eastern Michigan on Thursday. Going into the match, the Chippewas had just one Mid-American Conference victory and was in need of a road win against the Eagles and they got it behind a dominate block up front which record 12 blocks in the match. "We worked on blocking a lot this week and our middle blockers certainly made a difference for us," Olson said. In Maxwell's return, the Chippewas started off by falling behind the early, With EMU having the lead for the majority of the first set, it seemed as if the Eagles were in control but CMU came together late in the set to take it, 25-22.
Volleyball prepares for its next test on tonight, where it'll be taking on a familiar Mid-American Conference foe at Eastern Michigan. With the familiarity of two guaranteed regular-season matches each year, these two teams know each other.
Volleyball dropped its second Mid-American Conference match of the season against rival Western Michigan Friday night. There was one particular bright spot for the Chippewas, though. During the losing effort, junior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre recorded a team-high 17 kills.
While junior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre stole the spotlight Friday recording her 1,000th career kill, junior middle blocker Hallie Enderle quietly recorded 13 kills. Only McIntyre (17) recorded more kills than Enderle in the 3-1 loss to Western Michigan. Enderle’s previous career-high for kills was 10 in the first match of the season, Aug.
Volleyball was unable to hold off rival Western Michigan Friday and Northern Illinois Saturday in a pair of 3-1 matches. CMU split the first two sets with its rival, losing the first set, 25-21 and then winning the second set 25-20. They would go on to lose the next two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-16. Though the match ended up in a loss for the Chippewas, they were able to get at one set over the Broncos, showing the team is going in the right direction. Staying in games was something that head coach, Erik Olson mentioned he wanted his team to do during this week’s practices. "We passed the ball well against them (WMU)," Olson said.
Volleyball faces crucial, in-conference road tests this weekend after coming off split matches last week against Toledo and Ball State. The Chippewas will take on rival Western Michigan in Kalamazoo at 7 p.m.
[caption id="attachment_159344" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Five Chippewas tallied seven-plus kills per game in Friday night’s 3-0 sweep of Toledo, including sophomore middle blocker Angie White, who had 12. White had arguably her best performance of the season, averaging four kills per set and tying junior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre in the match. “It’s another day in the park for Angie,” said head coach Erik Olson.
After sweeping Toledo on Friday, volleyball was swept by Ball State 24 hours later at McGuirk Arena. Despite falling behind early in the match, the Chippewas produced a stellar effort by freshman outside hitter Melissa Fuchs.
The brooms were out in full force this weekend, and the Chippewas were on the wrong side of Saturday’s sweep against Ball State. CMU (7-7, 1-1 MAC) opened McGuirk Arena and the Mid-American Conference Friday and only needed one hour and 34 minutes to sweep Toledo (7-8, 0-2 MAC) Friday 3-0.
[caption id="attachment_158826" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Junior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre spikes the volleyball during CMU’s sweeping win Friday night against Toledo in McGuirk Arena.