Michigan
12-14, 4-12Big Ten
Purdue
12-13, 6-10Big Ten
Michigan Drops Tough Four-Game Decision at Purdue
11/14/1998 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â West Lafayette, Ind.
Result:Â Purdue 3, Michigan 1 (15-8, 7-15, 16-14, 15-11)
Records:Â U-M (12-14, 4-12 Big Ten), Purdue (12-13, 6-10 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match:Â Friday, Nov. 20 -- vs. Ohio State (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Despite playing one of its better matches of the Big Ten Conference season, the University of Michigan volleyball team dropped its fourth consecutive conference match, falling on the road to Purdue in four game (8-15, 15-7, 14-16, 11-15).
In the process of splitting the first two games of the evening, Michigan received excellent play from Sarah Behnke (Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore HS) to put the Wolverines in a position to pull out the victory. Behnke finished the match with a double-double in kills (a career-high 27) and digs (13).
However, the momentum of the match turned in game three. Behind great hitting from Karen Chase (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS) and quality setting from Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS), the Wolverines led game three 14-10 and were on the verge of taking control of the match. But Purdue rattled off the final six points to take the pivotal game, and the Boilermakers went on to win the fourth game 15-11 to take the match.
The Wolverines delivered one of their best nights of the season at the net, with a hitting percentage of .305 (83-26-187). However, Michigan surrendered 87 kills to Purdue and a hitting percentage of .396 (87-20-169).
Chase complemented Behnke with 22 kills, while Melka finished with a career-high 69 assists. Other Maize and Blue standouts included senior middle blocker Linsey Ebert (Fowlerville, Mich./Fowlerville HS), who registered a hitting percentage of .464 (14-1-28).
MATCH BESTS
Kills:Â U-M 83 (Sarah Behnke 27); Purdue 87 (Bev Krupa 33)
Assists:Â U-M 78 (Shannon Melka 69); Purdue 83 (Taryn Catlin 71)
Service Aces:Â U-M 12 (Shannon Melka-Karen Chase 3); Purdue 12 (Taryn Catlin 6)
Digs:Â U-M 50 (Sarah Behnke 13); Purdue 60 (Taryn Catlin 13)
Blocks:Â U-M 8 (Linsey Ebert-Annie Maxwell 3); Purdue 11 (Taryn Catlin 7)
NOTES
• Michigan set team season highs in kills (83), hitting attempts (187), assists (78) and service aces (12).
• Sarah Behnke's career-high 27 kills coupled with her team-best 13 digs gave the sophomore her fourth double-double of the season.
• Shannon Melka's 69 assists are a career high as well as a Wolverine season best.
• Freshman middle blocker Annie Maxwell (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) tallied a career-high nine kills and hit .571 (9-1-14) for the match.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Greg Giovanazzi
On the play of Michigan's outside hitters ... "Sarah Behnke and Karen Chase were outstanding again tonight. Especially Behnke, who was unbelievable with 27 kills and another double-double."
On the turning point of the match ... "We really played one of our better overall matches and I felt we were ready to take control in game three, but we blew a 14-10 lead and that was really the key point of the match."
