CMU volleyball sweeps Miami (Ohio)
Junior setter Kamryn Olson bends to bump the ball during CMU's match against Miami (Ohio) Saturday, Oct. 22 in McGuirk Arena.
Central Michigan volleyball completed their second-straight sweep on Saturday when they defeated Miami (Ohio) 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-15) in McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas improve to 13-8 on the season and 6-4 in Mid-American Conference play.
“I thought we were clicking on all cylinders tonight,” said head coach Mike Gawlik. “We had a lot of people contribute in a big way for us tonight. I thought our passing was good. I think our block got going. I think we just did a lot of things really well tonight.”
Senior middle blocker Maddie Whitfield led the team on both ends with 11 kills on a .733 hitting percentage along with five blocks.
Freshman setter Claire Ammeraal ended the game with 29 assists and five kills.
“I think a lot more trust has built up over the course of the season working together so much,” Ammeraal said. “And in this game, I felt like I could just put the ball up anywhere, and she would make it work, and so it's good to have that connection kind of forming. And hopefully, it gets even better for the whole year.”
After a strong showing on Wednesday, senior outside hitter Mallory Herandez led CMU in kills with 12 while hitting a .550.
The Chippewas started on fire and grabbed a 7-2 lead. Back-to-back kills from senior outside hitter Anna Erickson kept it going for CMU, extending the lead to 16-9. The Chippewas finished out the first set, 25-19, to go up 1-0 in the match.
After trading points in the second set, the Chippewas secured four-straight points to give them a 17-14 advantage. Whitfield locked up set two, 25-21, f with a kill to extend the CMU lead to 2-0.
Looking to secure the sweep, the Chippewas jumped out to a 12-5 lead in the third set. CMU increased its lead to double-digits on an 8-1 run. The Chippewas took set three, 25-15, and completed the sweep off of a kill from Whitfield.
Freshman outside hitter Natalia Rejment ended the night with seven kills and eight digs while Erickson recorded five kills and six digs.
The Chippewas return to McGuirk Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m. against Miami (Ohio). They will be celebrating Autism Acceptance Night.
“We feel like neurodiversity is a really important part of just diversity on campus and within our community,” Gawlik said. “... It’s going to be a neat event for families, not just families that have people on the spectrum, but a unique opportunity to bring your kids to an athletic event.”
