Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
5-25,4-14MAC
Central Michigan
19-10,12-6MAC
Eagles Rack up 10 Blocks in Season Finale Loss to Central Michigan
11/16/2022 7:42:00 PM | Volleyball
Fifth-year Raeven Chase led the Eagles with 15 kills
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team totaled 10 blocks in a three-set loss to the Central Michigan University Chippewas Wednesday, Nov. 16, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
The loss dropped Eastern Michigan's final season record to 5-25 overall and 4-14 in Mid-American Conference play.
Fifth year Raeven Chase (Toronto, Ont.-Michael Power St. Joseph Catholic) finished with 15 kills on the day to lead the Eagles' attack while finishing with a hitting percentage of .462. Defensively, the Green and White had two players reach double figures in digs as freshman Carlina Bender (Hudsonville, Mich.-Hudsonville) had 12 while junior Bella Hommes (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Forest Hills Northern) added another 11. From the front row, sophomore Madeline Timmerman (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Central) contributed five blocks and Chase added another five rejections.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Eagles fell behind early, dropping the first set 25-21. EMU trailed by as many as six points while Central Michigan never gave up the lead in a set that was tied just once before the Chippewas took control.
SET 2 | Eastern Michigan lost the second set 25-21, digging a 2-0 deficit in the match. The Eagles fell behind on the first point and never took the lead before dropping the set.
SET 3 | Central Michigan finished the sweep with a set-three win. The Eagles came up short in a back-and-forth battle, dropping the final stanza 25-23. The set featured four lead changes and was tied eight times. Neither team had a lead of more than four points along the way.
Match Notes
» Eastern Michigan saw an impressive offensive performance from Chase, tallying 15 kills for the Green and White. It is the 10th time this season that the middle blocker has earned a double-digit kill effort, and just the second time she has recorded 15-or-more. The last time was in a home match against Ohio University, Oct. 7, when she recorded 20 against the Bobcats.
» Eastern Michigan has bested its opponent in the total blocks battle 14 times this season, good for 46.6 percent of the schedule. The Eagles put up 10 total blocks against the Chippewas. Moreover, the Eagles' 228 total blocks this season ranks fourth in the Mid-American Conference.
» Sophomore Kendall Burk (Bloomington, Ill.-University) totaled 26 assists on the match. It is the 14th time this season the setter totaled at least 20 assists. She finished the 2022 season leading the Green and White with 649 assists.
» EMU held the CMU defense to just two total blocks, a mark that ties Eastern's season high set against Western Michigan University, Nov. 5 and at Toledo, Sept. 23. Additionally, the pair of blocks is tied for the lowest mark by the Chippewas defense this season. The Chippewas recorded just two at Northern Illinois University, Nov. 5.
Historical Notes
» Tonight marked the 97th all-time meeting between the Eagles and the Chippewas. Central Michigan leads the all-time series 66-31.
» Four seniors were honored in Saturday's match with Northern Illinois, Nov. 12. Additionally, Chase, Kamryn Stilwell (Parma, Ohio-Pardua Franciscan), Samantha Basham (Granville, Ohio-Newark Catholic), and Krista Blakely (Detroit, Mich.-University High School Academy), participated in their last match in an Eastern Michigan uniform against Central Michigan, Nov. 16.
The off-season
Stay connected with the Eagles during the offseason by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on Twitter for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball.
