CMU volleyball goes 1-1 against Buffalo
Central Michigan volleyball players line up for the National Anthem before the game against Bowling Green State University at McGuirk Arena, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (CMLife | Alivia Cranick)
After an electrifying win against Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, the Chippewas (4-14, 1-5) were on the road again, looking for a second Mid-American Conference win against Buffalo (6-9, 3-3) on Friday night. After losing the first two sets, Central Michigan University answered by taking the third, but the high-powered plays of the Bulls' offense in the fourth set were too much for the Chippewas, who lost the match 3-1.
CMU kept the first set close after Buffalo took a 3-0 lead in the first few points. Kills from seniors Brooklyn Conner, middle blocker, and Natalia Rejment, outside hitter, brought the Chippewas back into the set, with CMU leading 5-4 early.
After a timeout by CMU head coach Arielle Wilson later in the set, CMU, down 18-15, won five of the next eight points, forcing Buffalo to call a timeout. CMU was able to keep the set close the rest of the way, fighting off three Buffalo set points, but the Bulls took the first set 28-26.
In the second set, there were 13 ties and five lead changes throughout. Even when the Chippewas would break a tie, they could not gain ground to run away with the set. At 14-14, CMU went on a four-point run with two kills by Grace Thomas, a sophomore middle blocker, and two service aces by Izzy Swiercz, a sophomore outside hitter.
To stall the Chippewa upswing, Buffalo called a timeout, and the Bulls, coming back motivated, went on a four-point run of their own to erase the CMU lead. With the gut punch to their momentum, the Chippewas could not answer back, and Buffalo won the second set 25-22.
Neither team could sustain a lead at the beginning of the third set. At 7-7, CMU went on a four-point run with solid plays from Rejment and Thomas to make the score 11-7 CMU. After a Buffalo timeout, where the Bulls were once again able to tie the set up, the Chippewas were able to create a solid lead thanks to multiple attack errors by Buffalo.
With CMU up 21-15, senior middle blocker Abby Olin charted two aces, and Swiercz recorded a kill to make it 24-15 CMU. The Bulls were able to win two CMU set points, but the Chippewas closed out a third set victory 25-17 on a Rejment kill.
Even with the back-and-forth play of the fourth set, the Bulls pulled away halfway through. CMU, which led only once during the fourth, was hindered by its attacking and service errors throughout. Winning 18-16, Buffalo built a solid lead that the Chippewas could not overcome. The Bulls won the match on a kill, ending the fourth set 25-20.
Rejment tied her season high for kills at 17 (.200) and contributed 15 digs defensively, securing her second double-double of the season. Conner had 13 kills (.400), her season best.
Game two
A loss the night before wasn’t enough to shake the Chippewas on Saturday evening.
The Central Michigan Volleyball team (4-14 overall, 1-5 conference) took on the Buffalo Bulls (6-9 overall, 3-3 conference) in their second matchup of the weekend. High energy and efficient hitting were at the forefront for the Chippewas tonight, which allowed them to pick up their second Mid-American Conference win.
CMU took an early 5-2 lead in the first set from kills by Conner, Thomas and Swiercz, but Buffalo quickly tied it back up at 5. For the rest of the set, it was a close back-and-forth battle. After falling behind 13-11, the Chippewas tied it up at 13 with a huge defensive pick up by Hannah Langton, followed by an outside kill by Taylor Cripe.
Central Michigan seemed to be gaining steam at the end, picking up a 20-18 lead, but Buffalo called a timeout and tied it up once again, this time at 20. CMU prevailed in the first, finishing it out with a 26-24 win and putting up 17 kills in the set.
Momentum seemed to be going in Buffalo’s direction at the beginning of the second set, but a timeout called by CMU got the Chippewas back on track. Rejment tied the game up at 5 and again at 7 with two big outside kills. Thomas tied the game again at 9 with a strong solo block, and a massive Cripe kill gave CMU the lead, 11-10.
Late in the set, Central Michigan extended its lead to 18-13, and a successful challenge by the Chip’s coaching staff put it at 20-15, CMU. A huge Cripe kill and block led the Chippewas to set point, and they ended up taking this one too, 25-22.
The Chippewas finished it out in Buffalo in the third set, winning 25-17. Despite a close score in the middle of the set, CMU never let the Bulls take the lead.
Rejment and Cripe both put up double figures on the offensive end, Rejment picking up 12 kills and Cripe with 11. Olin, Thomas, and Conner each had 7 kills. Rejment also led the team in digs with 12. Swiercz was close behind with 9, and Langton had 7.
Central Michigan is back in Mount Pleasant on Friday, Oct. 17, to take on the Akron Zips.
