MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Could this be the breakthrough season for Central Michigan University in the MAC? Head coach Mike Gawlik is in his seventh season and his team was picked fifth in the MAC. He said as the season started, “While I disagree with us being the fifth-best team in the West, I can understand where coaches would make that assumption based on how much experience we lost. I like what we look like in the gym right now. I do think it looks different than year. I would really be surprised if we finished in that spot.”

After the first weekend of play in the West Division, Gawlik’s team has made a statement that they are better than fifth place. Playing double headers, one on Friday and the other match on Saturday, CMU swept 2021 MAC Tournament Champions Ball State. On Friday, after losing the first set, 25-18, they rallied back and won three straight sets, 25-20, 25-22, and 25-19 for the first win. Four players had double figures in kills as Natalia Rejment recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs.

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Gawlik said after Friday’s match, “More than anything, we used nonconference play to prepare ourselves to get into conference play. When we start the MAC season, and I said this down in the locker room, everybody’s 0-0. We’re excited to be back at home after being on the road and we wanted to put our flag down and say that were a team that needs to be, you know, dealt with in this league and I thought we did a really good job today of staying the course.”

Saturday brought an exciting five-set victory for CMU after being down two sets to none, 25-23, 25-12. The Chippewas rallied back with a 25-20, 25-22, and 19-17 five set win moving to 2-0 in the MAC and shocking the 2021 champions. Rejment once again had a double-double with 14 kills and 19 digs as three other players doubled up on kills.

“I wouldn’t say it looked bleak, but you’ve got to dig deep in those moments and find plays,” Gawlik says about the fifth-set 19-17 win. “One of our pillars is grit, the ability to just constantly keep going defensively and offensively, to take the swing. That’s the mantra in set fives: we’re going to play to win and we’re going to go for it.”

With CMU winning both matches, the MAC awarded both Claire Ammeraal and Maddie Whitfield as Players of the Week. Ammeraal was the MAC West Setter of the Week while Whitfield was the MAC West Defensive Player of the Week. Ammeraal had a triple-double in the five-set with posting 39 assists, 15 digs, and 11 kills. Whitfield totaled 12 blocks posting 16 kills and a .452 hitting percentage.

CMU will travel to Toledo on Thursday and Friday, September 29-30, for two more MAC matches.