CMU volleyball suffers two tough losses against Miami (OH)
Central Michigan volleyball (9-17, 6-9) lost to the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (14-13, 8-7) in a five-set thriller on Friday night, 3-2.
From the beginning, emotions were fiery in a need-to-win game for both teams. Matching the RedHawks' energy early, the Chippewas brought their own spark, taking the first set, 33-31. As the RedHawks forced 10 set points, CMU refused to give up, showing a full-team effort to get the set win.
Abby Olin, senior middle blocker, and Taylor Cripe, freshman outside hitter, made some critical kills in their team’s last seven points. In the set, Olin hit .364 and Cripe hit .312.
CMU would go on to lose the second set, 25-21, making the match a set each for the teams. Despite a massive morale boost from the first set, CMU faced several mishaps late in the second that let Miami stretch out its lead.
After hitting .302 in the first, CMU’s hitters were stifled, dropping to .121 with only 11 kills in the second set.
The third set was very back-and-forth, but the Chippewas ultimately lost, 25-23. CMU refused to be turned away, recording three service aces and three blocks as they battled. With the edge, Miami took a 2-1 lead in the match.
Desperate to force a fifth set, the Chippewas played with a whole new level of intensity in the fourth. CMU came out on top in this one with a 25-23 win. Great defense from the Chippewas contributed four blocks and held the RedHawks to a .174 hitting percentage in the set. With the win, the Chippewas tied the match back up at 2-2.
CMU brought all the enthusiasm it could for the fifth, but the Chippewas dropped the final set 15-12. In an electric atmosphere, Miami took the match victory.
Cripe and Brooklyn Conner, senior middle blocker, each contributed three kills to their team’s fight in the fifth.
With the result, CMU’s chances of making the Mid-American Conference tournament get slimmer, and Miami moves into a tie at fifth in the MAC.
Cripe charted her sixth double-double of the season, with 13 kills and 24 digs in the match. Olin led her team with 15 kills. As a team, CMU had 13 total blocks.
Match 2
There was plenty on the line for the Chippewas in their second match of the weekend: Better chances for a tournament appearance and a proper farewell for their seniors.
On their senior celebration day, CMU (9-17, 6-8) took on Miami (Ohio) (14-13,8-7) for the second time. After falling to them in a five-set nail-biter the night before, Central Michigan took another tough loss on Saturday.
“They learned to push through some hard times, because it’s not always gonna be perfect,” head coach Arielle Wilson said about the loss.
Getting swept in this weekend's series diminishes the chance for CMU to appear in the Mid-American Conference tournament. But, there was plenty to be proud of.
“There were a lot of great defensive moments [today] and the game before,” said Wilson. “I also thought people came in and had a great game. That just goes to show you the talent we have in our gym.”
This talent was on full display at McGuirk Arena Saturday night.
Natalia Rejment and Taylor Cripe both recorded double-doubles, Cripe’s second in a row. Rejment had 11 kills and 15 digs, while Cripe added 10 kills and 16 digs.
Wilson was also sure to mention Ella Peter, who had a standout game with seven kills and a hitting percentage of .700.
Abby Olin added eight kills, and Brooklyn Conner had seven. Keelyn Muell set the Chippewas well with 40 assists. She also picked up eight digs.
Central Michigan faces the Ball State Cardinals next week in its last two regular-season matches. Although the Cardinals are ranked first in the conference, Wilson likes her Chippewas’ odds.
“They’re a great team, and I think my team really shows up against better teams. I just want us to focus on ending on a good note for our seniors,” Wilson said.
CMU’s only hope for a tournament appearance is to win these last two games. They will take on Ball State on Thursday and Friday next week, both at 6 p.m.
Coach Wilson’s expectations for her team as their season comes to an end are to “play as hard as you can, to continue to learn and grow, to have fun and to bring energy”.
