Kent State University
Central Michigan
Kent State Volleyball Opens Spring Season at MAC West Favorite CMU
1/27/2021 7:08:00โฏPM | Women's Volleyball
The Kent State volleyball team will finally begin its 2021 spring season with a two-match series at Central Michigan on January 28-29. Thursday's 6 p.m. match will bring an end to a 434-day layoff since the Golden Flashes last competed against another opponent, a 3-2 loss to Ohio in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Kent State and the Chippewas are also scheduled to play at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
Ninth-year head coach Don Gromala has an experienced roster with 12 letterwinners from last season's squad that grabbed the final spot in the conference tournament. The Flashes showed great resiliency following an 0-4 start to the conference season, which included just a single set victory, and won seven of the final 12 regular season matches. This stretch included a 3-0 sweep of MAC Tournament champion Ball State and the program's first win at conference runner-up Bowling Green since 2010.ย
All-MAC Honorable Mention setterย Alex Haffnerย (8.97 assists per set) will once again run one of the top offenses in the conference. Kent State led the MAC in hitting percentage (.224) and was second in kills per set (13.53) a season ago. Haffner will have plenty of setting options, as four of the Flashes' top five scorers also return. Outside hitterย Savannah Matthewsย (2.54 kills per set) and oppositeย Morgan Copleyย (2.48 kills per set) were selected to the MAC's All-Freshman Team, while middle blockerย Danie Tysonย (2.33 kills per set) posted a team-best .321 hitting percentage.ย Opposite Melissa Kolurbasi (2.33 kills per set), a member of the 2018 MAC All-Freshman Team, added 147 kills while appearing in 63 sets.
Tremendous back row defense has been a trademark of Gromala's program, and Kent State has averaged more than 16.0 digs per set while holding opponents to a .210 hitting percentage or lower each of the past six seasons. In 2019, the Flashes ranked 14th in the country at 17.67 digs per set. Libero Erin Gardner led the way with 5.26 digs per set, which was good for 18th nationally. Savannah Matthews (3.21 digs per set) was second in the MAC among pin hitters with 360 digs. Alex Haffner (2.39 digs per set) had a team-high 11 double-doubles. Defensive specialist Kaeleigh Stang (2.92 digs per set), the only four-year member of the team, had the highest reception percentage on the team and averaged 3.15 digs per set over the final 13 matches overall.
Danie Tyson had a team-best 71 total blocks for the second season in a row. Morgan Copley was close behind with 65 total blocks. Middle blocker Lana Strejcek, a transfer from Charlotte, could bolster Kent State's blocking efforts. Strejcek led a 49ers front line that was 39th in the country in blocking with an average of 1.07 blocks per set and her 94 total blocks ranked second on the team.
SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The preseason MAC West Division favorite Chippewas split two road matches at Ohio as part of an interesting first weekend of the season. After winning the first set of Friday afternoon's season opener, a power outage that affected the entire Athens region prevented the second set from being completed and forced the match to be resumed on Saturday morning. Central Michigan posted a .346 hitting percentage to take the fifth set, 15-13, and win in Athens for the first time since 1999. The teams took the floor a few hours later with the host Bobcats coming away with a 3-0 victory.
Last season, the Chippewas took the MAC by surprise and tied for the West Division title. Central Michigan tripled its win total from 2018, finishing with a 21-9 record and earning a spot in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
Outside hitter Savannah Thompson and opposite Ann Erickson stepped up at the pin during the series at Ohio in the absence of All-MAC First Team outside hitter Kalina Smith. Thompson is tied for third in the conference at 4.00 kills per set and ranks sixth with a .388 hitting percentage. She averaged 3.25 digs per set and recorded a double-double in both matches. Erickson added 3.88 kills per set and a .329 hitting percentage. Middle blocker Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez shared the team lead with six total blocks while adding 11 kills and hitting at a .348 clip. The trio's teammates struggled attacking the ball and combined for just 30 kills and a .088 hitting percentage.
Grace Butler and shared setting duties for the Chippewas. Butler started both matches and totaled 38 assists, while Olson had 33 assists as the only freshman who saw significant action.
After leading Central Michigan in assists last season, Kendall Braate has taken over the libero position. Braate averaged a team-best 4.13 digs per set during the opening weekend, which ranks eighth in the conference.
SERIES HISTORYย
The Golden Flashes are 21-31-1 record all-time against Central Michigan, but have dominated the series in recent years, going 21-7 since 1995. Head coachย Don Gromalaย is 6-2 vs. the Chippewas with six consecutive victories from 2013-18.
UP NEXT
Kent State will visit Buffalo on Feb. 4-5 for its first series against a MAC East opponent.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
Be sure to follow Kent State Volleyball onย Twitter,ย Instagramย andย Facebookย for news and updates about the squad.
