Michigan
12-16, 4-14Big Ten
Penn State
28-0, 18-0Big Ten
Wolverines Drop Home Finale to No. 2-Ranked Nittany Lions
11/21/1998 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Result:Â #2 Penn State 3, Michigan 0 (15-7, 15-2, 15-3)
Records:Â U-M (12-16, 4-14 Big Ten), PSU (28-0, 18-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match:Â Friday, Nov. 27 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 7 p.m. CST
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team closed its 1998 home schedule with a three-game loss to second-ranked Penn State (7-15, 2-15, 3-15) on Saturday (Nov. 21) in Cliff Keen Arena. With the victory, the Nittany Lions clinched their third consecutive Big Ten Conference championship and fifth in the program's history.
Michigan fell behind early in game one and trailed 10-0 before scoring two straight points on Shannon Melka's (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS) serve. A big solo block by sophomore Joanna Fielder (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) and strong service from Linsey Ebert (Fowlerville, Mich./Fowlerville HS) brought the Wolverines to within 14-7 before they succumbed 15-7.
Michigan could not overcome a 5-0 deficit to start game two as the Nittany Lions gained control of the match. Penn State hit .375 (26-8-48) in game two while the Wolverines struggled attacking with a hitting percentage of -.154 (5-9-26).
U-M opened game three with its strongest effort but again was outplayed at the net as Penn State gave the Wolverines their sixth straight loss. For the match Penn State registered 45 kills to Michigan's 28 while out-blocking the Maize and Blue 13-5. A bright spot for the Wolverines was Fielder, who hit .462 (8-2-13) along with tallying a team-high four blocks.
The Wolverines will close out their regular-season schedule with Big Ten road matches at Iowa (Friday, Nov. 27) and Wisconsin (Saturday, Nov. 28).
MATCH BESTS
Kills:Â U-M 28 (Joanna Fielder 8); Penn State 45 (Lauren Cacciamani 11)
Assists:Â U-M 25 (Shannon Melka 12); Penn State 42 (Bonnie Bremner 36)
Service Aces:Â U-M 2 (Linsey Ebert 2); Penn State 5 (Leilani Schlottfeldt 2)
Digs:Â U-M 19 (Shannon Melka 5); Penn State 38 (Lindsay Anderson 9)
Blocks:Â U-M 5 (Joanna Fielder 4); Penn State 13 (Emily Stout 6)
NOTES
• The match was the final home contest for Wolverine seniors Karen Chase (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), Linsey Ebert, Jeanine Szczesniak (Evergreen Park, Ill./Mother McAuley HS), Jane Stevens (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou HS) and Chereena Tennis (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood HS).
• The attendance of 936 marked a season high for the Wolverines at Cliff Keen Arena.
• Sophomore Shawna Olsen (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS) played in the second match of her career.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Greg Giovanazzi
On the senior class playing in its final home match ... "These five ladies -- Karen Chase, Linsey Ebert, Jeanine Szczesniak, Jane Stevens and Chereena Tennis -- made a tremendous mark on Michigan volleyball. They raised the standard of Michigan volleyball to the point where we expect to compete with the elite in the Big Ten and go to the NCAA Tournament."
