CMU volleyball aims to improve winning streak to five
Confidence is high as the Central Michigan volleyball team comes home with a three-match winning streak.
And it will look for five-straight wins this weekend against Akron and Buffalo.
“A five-match winning streak would be huge for us,” said sophomore setter Kelly Maxwell. “We’re so competitive in the Mid-American Conference and our division.”
The Chippewas have beaten Toledo, Bowling Green and Miami University since their only home loss against Ball State two weeks ago.
A five-match win streak would be CMU's longest streak since 2009, when they won six straight from Sept. 5-25.
The Chippewas start the weekend at 7 p.m. Friday against the Zips.
“I would’ve liked to play them a couple weeks ago,” said head coach Erik Olson. “They’re kind of like we were four weeks ago.”
Akron had three players with 10-plus skills in its loss against Western Michigan last Saturday.
Buffalo
If CMU wants the five-match winning streak, it needs to beat the Zips and Buffalo.
The Bulls are on a four-match losing streak and have been swept in their last two games.
“They serve tough and they’re huge,” Olson said. “We have to make sure we don’t run our offense into their big blockers.”
The job of directing the offense falls on the shoulders of Maxwell, who is ranked no. 67 in the nation in assists per game with an average of 10.48.
“I just need to find my open hitters and put them in good situations,” Maxwell said.
Junior Val DeWeerd has stepped up and performed well in the absence of the injured junior Jocelyn VerVelde, but the starter is still uncertain.
“Val (DeWeerd) has been training real well and Jocelyn (VerVelde) has been getting better everyday,” Olson said. “Right now I’m undecided, we’ll see.”
Senior middle blocker Kaitlyn Schultz, who has been out of practice this week due to illness, is expected to play this weekend according to Olson.
This week marks the first of a two-week homestand and final one of the season.
“McGuirk has been awesome,” Maxwell said. “Last year we were in Finch (Fieldhouse) and it felt like we were always on the road.”
The MAC Championship race is starting to shape up toward the final month of the regular season. Ball State who leads CMU by two matches and Northern Illinois and WMU are ahead by just one game.
The Chippewas host the Broncos and Huskies to close up McGuirk next weekend.
