Michigan
10-7, 4-3Big Ten
Northwestern
12-7, 5-2Big Ten
Shorthanded Wolverines Fall in Four at Northwestern
10/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Result: Northwestern 3, Michigan 1 (30-28, 30-25, 28-30, 30-21)
Records: U-M (10-7, 4-3 Big Ten), Northwestern (12-7, 5-2 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, Oct. 19 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 7:30 p.m. CDT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Despite a career-high 23 kills by sophomore Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS), the University of Michigan volleyball team dropped a closely contested match 3-1 (30-28, 30-25, 28-30, 30-21) to the Northwestern Wildcats tonight (Friday, Oct. 18) at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Junior Chantel Reedus (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) continued her strong play with season highs in kills (19) and digs (12), but it was not enough to keep the Wolverines from their second loss to Northwestern in the last 16 matches between the teams.
In addition to the challenge of playing on the road, the Wolverines were without preseason All-Big Ten Conference selection and team captain Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS), who missed the match due to an ankle injury, and starting libero Carrie Ritchie (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison Comprehensive HS), who missed the match due to illness.
Candace Gay (Detroit, Mich./Academy of the Sacred Heart) and Sarah Allen (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg HS) filled in for Moore and Ritchie, respectively. Gay posted a career-high four kills, and Allen had a career-high 13 digs. They each recorded their first career blocks, as Gay denied three Wildcat attempts and Allen blocked one attack. Freshman Lindsay Dern (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS) contributed a career-high 10 digs and an assist in an expanded role.
Michigan (10-7, 4-3 Big Ten) came close in the first game, falling 30-28. Adjustments in the second game helped the Wolverines increase their hitting to .306 (17-6-36), but it was not enough as the Wildcats took a 2-0 lead with a 30-25 win in game two. Following the intermission, Michigan posted a match-best .333 (23-7-48) hitting percentage to win 30-28. The Wolverines started out hot in the fourth game and took a 16-9 lead before Northwestern closed out the match with a 21-5 run for the 30-21 victory.
The Wolverines entered tonight's match tied with Northwestern for third place in the Big Ten standings. With the loss, Michigan has moved into a tie for fourth place with No. 18 Wisconsin, U-M's opponent tomorrow night (Saturday, Oct. 19). The Wolverines and the Badgers finish the weekend at 7:30 p.m. CDT at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis.
NOTES
• Michigan's only Big Ten losses have been road matches against the top three teams in the conference standings. The Wolverines dropped matches at then-No. 8 Minnesota (Sept. 28), then-No. 9 Penn State (Oct. 11) and Northwestern.
• This is Michigan's second consecutive loss to Northwestern in Evanston. The Wolverines dropped a five-game decision (30-21, 23-30, 34-32, 16-30, 13-15) on Sept. 21, 2001.
• Michigan is now 1-6 this season in matches at the opponent's home facility. Including neutral-site contests, the Wolverines are 4-7 away from Cliff Keen Arena.
• Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS), with three blocks tonight, finished the match with 400 career blocks. She is the first Michigan volleyball player to reach that milestone.
