Michigan
3-4, 0-1Big Ten
Northwestern
4-3, 1-0Big Ten
Wolverines Drop Conference Opener at Northwestern
9/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Result:Â Northwestern 3, Michigan 2 (21-30, 30-23, 32-34, 30-16, 15-13)
Records:Â U-M (3-4, 0-1 Big Ten), NU (4-3, 1-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match:Â Saturday, Sept. 22 -- at #9 Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 7 p.m. CDT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- In its opening match of the Big Ten Conference season, the University of Michigan volleyball team fell to Northwestern in five games (21-30, 30-23, 32-34, 30-16, 15-13) on Friday (Sept. 21) in a tight match that was up for grabs until the very end. After taking the first and third games of the match, the Wolverines were forced to a fifth and deciding game after they were unable to finish the match in the fourth game after struggling with attacks throughout the game.
In the first game, Michigan (3-4, 0-1 Big Ten) and Northwestern stayed even until a nice service series by Wolverine setter Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS) gave the team a 16-11 lead midway through the game. The Wolverines kept the lead at about the same margin until freshman Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) and sophomore Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) each served three consecutive points to help the team surge to a 30-21 finish.
The second game started out the inverse of the first, with Northwestern (4-3, 1-0 Big Ten) jumping out to a 20-12 lead midway though. Michigan drew within four points at 23-19 but was unable to overtake the Wildcats and fell 30-23.
The third game saw Michigan jump out to a quick 4-1 lead, but it would not last long as Northwestern tied the game at 10-10. Michigan took another lead at 18-15, but that's as large as it would get until it was tied again at 25-25. From there, it was as close as a game can get. Neither team could gain more than a one-point lead and the match was tied eight more times. U-M was on the verge of winning the game three times near the end, but it wasn't until Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS) single-handedly denied the attack of Northwestern's Sarah Ballog that the Wolverines would take the game 34-32.
Up 2-1 in the match, Michigan struggled offensively in the fourth game and fell 30-16 to force a deciding fifth game. Playing from behind after a 3-0 start by the Wildcats, Michigan was able to tie the game at 6-6. Northwestern took the next two points and held that edge until Michigan cut it to one point at 14-13, but Jill Buschur killed the final attack to give the game and match to Northwestern.
Michigan returns to the court on Saturday (Sept. 22) in Madison, Wis., to face the ninth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers at the Wisconsin Field House. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m. CDT.
NOTES
• Michigan is now 5-15 in Big Ten Conference season-opening matches.
• Each player wore red, white and blue ribbons in her hair in memory of last week's tragedies.
