The Miami University RedHawks volleyball team (8-6, 2-0 in conference play) opened up Mid-American Conference (MAC) play on Sept. 25. The RedHawks are 2-0 through their first two conference matches as they prepare for the second half of the season.
With eight wins this season, the RedHawks have matched their win total from 2024. With MAC play underway, Miami now prepares for back-to-back matchups this weekend, first against Western Michigan University on Oct. 2 and Northern Illinois University on Oct. 3, at Millett Hall.
In his second year at the helm, head coach Dan Gwitt led the RedHawks to two invitational victories in the non-conference slate. With two wins over Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponents, Miami has matched its conference win total from last season.
Gwitt said the main difference this season is having a year’s worth of experience, both for him and the returners to the program.
“You’ve got time under your belt,” Gwitt said. “You’ve had a spring to work with some of the returning players to [develop] their individual skills. You have time to set some system things that we do, that I want the team to play like and understand. Even from a cultural standpoint, you spend more time together, there’s a little more trust built.”
Miami recruited four freshmen and two transfer players ahead of the 2025 season. Two of the freshmen, outside hitters Molly Creech and Lauren Coyne, currently lead the team with 161.5 and 145 points, respectively.
Having young players get heavily involved not only allows Miami to be successful this year, but Gwitt said it’s a good sign for the future of the program over the next few seasons. However, he said he wasn’t surprised with the success the young players have had so far.
“I’m really happy and proud of those kids, but it’s also why I recruited them,” Gwitt said. “They played for the best clubs in America. They were all winners. A lot of them have state championships or went to a state championship or were at a top 50 club in the country. Them coming into college volleyball and being successful does not shock me with that group.”
Returning junior outside hitter Chelsea Williams said the new arrivals adjusted to the team quickly, which helped the team hit the ground running when the season began in August.
“They all just jumped right in, and they blended in seamlessly,” Williams said. “We all automatically got along super well, and the transition for us was really easy. As upperclassmen, we want to help them transition as much as possible, but it seemed like they jumped right in pretty well on their own.”
The RedHawks opened the regular season at the Bellarmine Classic, where they went 3-0 to take the title. The team returned to Oxford for its home-opener at Millett Hall in what would be a thriller against Ohio State University.
The match set a new attendance record for the program with 2,550 in the crowd. Miami took the first set 25-15 before both teams traded 27-25 sets. Despite evening the score after going down 24-20, the RedHawks fell in the fourth set 27-25, and the Buckeyes took the final set 15-3 for the win.
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Even with the loss, Williams said the Ohio State match showed that the RedHawks can compete with Power Four programs. The attendance that night was a highlight for her this season.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Williams said. “Having that many people at a game, and the hype and the marketing that went around it, was super cool. That’s something that we haven’t had much of in the past.”
The RedHawks lost their next invitational at Xavier University,after going 0-3 before rebounding with a win on home court at the Best Western Invitational. Miami went 2-1 on the weekend, winning its last match 3-2 over Duquesne University.
Following a 1-1 weekend against Northern Kentucky University, the RedHawks faced their first MAC opponent when they played the University of Akron Zips on the road.
Akron held a lead going into the fourth set, but Miami evened the score with a 25-22 win to force a fifth set, which it later won 15-9. The close match with Akron preceded a 3-0 shutout for the RedHawks against the University of Buffalo.
Coyne said the conference wins derived from the team’s performance in the preseason and non-conference slate. The success earlier in the year proved to the RedHawks that they can compete in the MAC this season.
“We saw growth there,” Coyne said. “I think that all our preseason games, especially the tough matches where it’s close … helped us gain the confidence that we can make the big plays at the end of games.”
Another strong attribute for the RedHawks has been the defense. Gentry Warrick leads the MAC with 77 blocks, while Creech and redshirt junior defensive specialist Anna McClure both rank in the top 10 in digs (186 and 173, respectively).
After two rounds of conference matchups, Miami joins Northern Illinois, the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Ball State University and Western Michigan University as the only undefeated teams remaining.
Miami next faces Western Michigan, the reigning conference champions from last season, at Millett. The next day, the RedHawks welcome Northern Illinois to Oxford.
Gwitt said no matter who the opponent is, Miami is going to work harder than the players on the opposite side of the court. He emphasized the mental aspect of volleyball and said the RedHawks have swung the momentum in their favor.
“We’re just going to have to out-tough people,” Gwitt said. “There’s a thing called self belief, and that’s something that I talk to my players about all the time. You have to believe you can win before it’s going to happen, and I think we’re starting to develop that. It’s pretty exciting to see the success we’re having.”
With 16 games remaining in the regular season, the RedHawks are striving for a successful conference slate this season to send them to the MAC tournament for the first time in almost five years. Even in his second year on the job, Gwitt said he doesn’t want to wait for the program to be successful: This year is Miami’s year.
“I’m not patient,” Gwitt said. “I’m not waiting. There’s no chill years until we get good. I want to win now … I’m very proud of my team for hanging in there with me when I’ve definitely pushed them as hard as you can push. But the fun part is they’re starting to see the results.”
Tipoff will be at 6:30 p.m. against Western Michigan (Oct. 2) and Northern Illinois (Oct. 3) at Millett.
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