Michigan
2-3
Eastern Michigan
3-2
U-M Pounds Eastern Michigan for Second Straight Sweep
9/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Event:Â Pepsi Volleyball Challenge (Day 2)
Result:Â Michigan 3, Eastern Michigan 0 (30-18, 30-18, 30-18)
Records:Â U-M (2-3), EMU (3-2)
Next U-M Match:Â Saturday, Sept. 8 -- vs. Georgia in Pepsi Challenge (Cliff Keen Arena), 7:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball squad needed just three games to defeat intrastate rival Eastern Michigan 3-0 (30-18, 30-18, 30-18) Saturday afternoon (Sept. 8) at its Pepsi Volleyball Challenge in Cliff Keen Arena. Seniors Nicole Kacor (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS) and Annie Maxwell (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) entered the match off the bench and combined for 11 kills, including a perfect seven kills on seven attempts by Maxwell, to seal the win for the Wolverines.
As a team, the Wolverines dominated the match. In games one and two, the Wolverines hit .517 and .583 while forcing the Eagles to attack percentages of -.062 and .129, respectively. For the match, Michigan hit .512 with 49 kills. Continuing its strong work at the net, Michigan tallied 10 team blocks, with Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) assisting on five of them.
Like last night's (Sept. 7) 3-0 sweep of Pittsburgh, Michigan (2-3) used several runs to put each game out of reach from the Eagles (3-2). With the first game at 21-16, redshirt freshman setter Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS) served five consecutive points to extend the lead to 26-16 before U-M put the game away at 30-18. In game two, the Wolverines jumped out to 8-3 lead on six consecutive points with sophomore Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) back serving. Taking advantage of poor ball placement by Eastern Michigan, U-M kept building the lead until Maxwell and Kacor posted three consecutive kills to end the game at 30-18.
Needing just one game to put the match away, Michigan found itself in a much tighter game before extending an 11-9 lead to 23-16 to put the game and match out of reach for the Eagles. Setting for most of the game, senior Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS) recorded seven assists and a pair of digs, while Maxwell killed all five of her attempts in the game.
In the first match of the day, Pittsburgh and Georgia took the match to a full five games before the Bulldogs (5-0) extended their season-long winning streak to five matches. The Panthers put up a strong fight, but fell 3-2 (16-30, 30-19, 30-23, 28-30, 15-13).
Michigan faces Georgia in the final match of the Pepsi Volleyball Challenge tonight at 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh and Eastern Michigan face each other at 5 p.m.
