Michigan
6-4
Notre Dame
9-3
Gandolph's Big Match Not Enough for U-M at Notre Dame
9/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: South Bend, Ind. (Joyce Center)
Result: Notre Dame 3, Michigan 1 (30-22, 30-24, 23-30, 30-20)
Records: U-M (6-4), Notre Dame (9-3)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Sept. 27 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 7 p.m. CDT
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Sophomore Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) led the University of Michigan volleyball team with 20 kills and a season-high 17 digs for her sixth double-double of the season, but it was not enough to help the Wolverines past Notre Dame tonight (Saturday, Sept. 21) at the Joyce Center. The Fighting Irish forced Michigan into its second-worst hitting night of the season (.175, 61-31-171) for a 3-1 victory (30-22, 30-24, 23-30, 30-20) in the Wolverines' final non-conference match.
Michigan (6-4) took a small lead over Notre Dame at the start of the first game and was down by one at 9-8 after a kill by Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS). However, the Irish combined five kills and three Michigan errors for a 10-2 run to take a 19-10 lead in the game. The team traded points the rest of the way out and Notre Dame took the game 30-22. The Irish defense posted four blocks in the game and received five kills each by Katie Neff and Emily Loomis.
The Wolverines opened the second game with a flurry and took a quick 7-3 lead on three kills and a service ace by Gandolph. However, three consecutive attack errors by the Wolverines let the Fighting Irish back into the game at 7-6. Notre Dame tied the game at 10-10 with a block and then took a 12-10 lead on back-to-back service aces by Loomis. After a kill by Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS), Notre Dame rattled off six points for an 18-11 lead. Michigan spread the ball around and used kills by Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS), Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS), Poquette and Gandolph to close the gap to two points at 20-18. Three more Michigan errors let the Irish expand the lead to five at 26-21 before Poquette and Moore drilled kills to close the margin to three. It was not enough as Notre Dame earned four of the next five points to win game two 30-24 and take a two-game lead in the match.
The Wolverines spotted Notre Dame (9-3) two points at the start of the third game but got hot and took an 11-7 lead after nine consecutive kills without an error. The Irish drew within two at 11-9, but another run took the Michigan lead to 15-9. A kill by Gamalski and a pair by Gandolph expanded the Michigan lead to eight at 24-16 before it closed out the game 30-23. The Wolverines hit a match-high .400 (20-4-40) while holding Notre Dame to a match-low .163 (15-7-49).
The fourth game was a thriller from the start. Michigan again gave the Fighting Irish the first two points but quickly tied the score at 2-2. Ties would be the theme for a while, as the contest was knotted 12 more times to the point at which the score was 17-17. Five errors by the Wolverines helped Notre Dame make a run to take a 23-17 lead, and the Irish went on to take the game 30-20 for a 3-1 victory.
Michigan opens Big Ten Conference play with its next match, a road contest at Iowa on Friday (Sept. 27) in Iowa City, Iowa. The following night (Saturday, Sept. 28), the Wolverines meet Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn. Both matches are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. CDT.
NOTES
• Nicole Poquette and Lisa Gamalski tied their season high in kills with 10 and five, respectively.
• With two blocks tonight, Katrina Lehman now has 365 career blocks. She needs 10 more to tie Julia Sturm (1987-90) for the U-M career record of 375 total blocks.
• Michigan's next home match, against Big Ten Conference rival Indiana on Friday, Oct. 4, will be the 11th annual Rock the House.
