The Central Michigan volleyball squad celebrated “Volleyween” at McGuirk Arena during their two-game series with Buffalo in which costumes filled the arena, and candy was thrown to fans.
CMU fell in both matches against and is now 0-25 overall and 0-12 in the Mid-American Conference.
The Chippewas’ lone set win came in the third, when sophomore outside hitter Taylor Cripe recorded five kills.
As a team, CMU hit .265, cut its service errors in half from the two previous sets and matched Buffalo’s kill total.
“They had to continually check their energy and effort,” head coach Arielle Wilson said. “Those are things you just can’t coach.”
They remained steady throughout the set and won 25-21.
The CMU baseball team was in attendance and wore Halloween attire for the game and created a lively crowd, while some Chippewa volleyball alums were recognized between sets.
“I think the crowd helped us too,” Wilson said. “It was so good to see the baseball team supporting us and our alumni.”
An early 11-5 Buffalo lead in the fourth set was too much for the Chippewas, and they fell in the final set 25-21.
Cripe led the Chippewas with 14 kills, followed by freshman middle blocker Brenna Storz with 11.
Sophomore middle blocker Lilly Mulholland added nine kills.
Sophomore libero Rainey Weidman led the team in digs with 21, and freshman setter Audrey Hackney recorded 35 assists.
“They [the players] have been really pushing through all the negativity,” Wilson said. “I hope everyone keeps the same energy now with us when we are doing well.”
Central Michigan was swept by Buffalo on Saturday.
The Bulls recorded a .326 hitting percentage during the match, compared to the Chippewas’ .109.
Buffalo was also strong behind the service line, picking up 10 aces.
“I think Buffalo is a really good team,” Wilson said. “We’re playing better volleyball; they are too.”
Cripe led the way on Saturday with 11 kills, followed by Mulholland with six.
Weidman picked up 10 digs, and sophomore setter Brytn Lyon had 17 assists.
Sophomore defensive specialist Cecilia Bustamante and Storz each picked up two aces.
Central Michigan will take on Akron next in a two-game series on the road. Friday’s match is set to start at 6 p.m., and Saturday’s game is at 4 p.m.
