Michigan
14-14, 6-13Big Ten
Michigan State
19-12, 9-10Big Ten
U-M Spikes Spartans to Claim State Pride Flag for 1999
11/24/1999 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Result: Michigan 3, Michigan State 0 (15-7, 15-5, 15-1)
Records: U-M (14-14, 6-13 Big Ten), MSU (19-12, 9-10 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Nov. 26 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 7 p.m. CST
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team played its most complete match of the season Wednesday (Nov. 24), dumping instate rival Michigan State 3-0 (15-7, 15-5, 15-1) before a season-high crowd of 1,146 at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverine sweep gives them the State Pride series win for 1999 by virtue of outscoring Michigan State 65-58 in points in the two matches, with each team garnering a 3-0 win on their home floor. The Michigan win was keyed by a team attacking effort of .404 (53-13-99), the Wolverines' best percentage in Big Ten play in 1999.
Senior defensive specialist Maggie Cooper (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern HS), playing in the final home match of her career, served Michigan out to a 4-0 lead to start the match. From that point Joanna Fielder (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) took over from the middle blocker position, hitting .500 (7-1-12) for the game, as Michigan pushed its lead to as much as seven at 9-2. Michigan State came back with a 5-2 run to cut the deficit to four at 11-7, but that was as close as the Spartans would get. Michigan ran off the final four points and hit .325 (20-7-40) for the game to win 15-7 and take a one-game lead.
Michigan maintained its momentum in game two with a hitting percentage of .483 (17-3-29) as freshman middle blocker Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS) hit a perfect 1.000 (3-0-3) for game two. Leading 7-5, Michigan broke open a tight game when sophomore setter Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS) served the final eight points of game two to give the Wolverines a 15-5 win and a two-game match lead heading into the intermission. Junior outside hitter Sarah Behnke (Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore HS) recorded two kills during Michigan's 8-0 run and hit .333 (3-1-6) for the game.
The Wolverines maintained their intensity in game three by dominating the Spartans 15-1. Michigan's attacking was again nearly flawless as the Maize and Blue hit .433 (16-3-30) for the game, led by junior Alija Pittenger (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HS), who hit a 1.000 (4-0-4) for the game. Michigan jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Michigan State scored its only point of game three to cut the lead to 3-1. Michigan rattled off the final 12 points of the match as Fielder stayed hot with five game-three kills. Pittenger's strong serve was also key in game three as she served six straight points to push Michigan's lead from 5-1 to 11-1 and put the contest out of reach. A kill from Nicole Kacor (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS) gave Michigan a 15-1 game-three win and a match sweep.
The Wolverines close out their 1999 campaign at Northwestern on Friday, Nov. 26 (7 p.m. CST) as Michigan goes for a season sweep of the Wildcats.
MATCH BESTS
Kills: U-M 53 (Joanna Fielder 16); MSU 28 (Sarah Gustin 12)
Assists: U-M 43 (Shannon Melka 36); MSU 27 (Vicki Basil 70)
Digs: U-M 39 (Alija Pittenger 11); MSU 24 (Maren Witzel 20)
Service Aces: U-M 2 (Melka, Fielder 1); MSU 2 (Basil 2)
Blocks: U-M 5 (Fielder 3); MSU 6 (Angela Morley 4)
NOTES
• Michigan's 1999 State Pride series win knots the series at five wins for each school. The series began in 1990.
• The Wolverines finished the 1999 campaign with a winning record (7-6) at home. Michigan last accomplished that in 1997 on its way to a NCAA Tournament bid.
• Michigan is now 14-14 on the season and heads to Northwestern for its final match of the season with a chance to finish above .500 for the season. A 15-win season would be a three-match improvement over the 12-win 1998 campaign for the Wolverines.
• Seniors Maggie Cooper and Anne Poglits (West Bloomfield, Mich./Livonia Ladywood HS) played in the final home matches of their careers.
• Michigan's team hitting percentage of .404 (53-13-99) was its second best effort of the season. Only their .449 (44-9-78) mark against Toledo on Sept. 3 was better in 1999.
• Alija Pittenger's hitting percentage of .692 (11-2-13) was a career high for the junior. Pittenger also recorded a match-high 11 digs.
• This is Michigan's first match sweep of Michigan State since Oct. 28, 1992.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On the match in general ... "We played as well as we have played all season, especially against a quality opponent like Michigan State. Our passing keyed the whole thing, and Shannon (Melka) set a great game as a result. When you execute like that, you have the potential to put up good numbers attacking."
On Michigan's play the last month of the season ... "We have proved that we can compete with some of the upper echelon teams in this conference and teams that are probably going to make the NCAA Tournament. It is just a testament to how hard this team has worked and gotten after it even though we struggled some in the middle of the season. Yet, that is something you will get with a young team, and we only start one senior, but they hung in there and gradually improved throughout the season to give our seniors a great way to go out in their final home match."
