Michigan
16-7, 8-4Big Ten
Indiana
9-14, 2-10Big Ten
Michigan Caps Perfect Weekend with Sweep of Indiana
11/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score:Â Michigan 3, Indiana 0 (34-32, 30-23, 30-20)
Records:Â U-M (16-7, 8-4 Big Ten), Indiana (9-14, 2-10 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event:Â Wednesday, Nov. 5 -- vs. Michigan State (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team posted its first home weekend sweep of the Big Ten Conference campaign, closing out the two-match set with a 3-0 (34-32, 30-23, 30-20) sweep of visiting Indiana on Saturday night (Nov. 1) at Cliff Keen Arena. Senior Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) led all players with 17 kills and hit a team-best .414 as U-M won its third straight match.
With the win, the Wolverines have now won four straight against the Hoosiers at Keen Arena and have swept Indiana in the season series, marking the first time since 2001 U-M has swept IU.
Michigan looked to be en route to win in game one, leading 29-26, when the Hoosiers fought off three game points with three straight blocks before eventually taking the lead at 30-29 when Moore committed an attack error. The Wolverines held Indiana at bay on two game-point attempts before regaining the lead at 32-31. After the Hoosiers tied it at 32-32 with a kill by Melissa Brewer, redshirt freshman Erin Cobler (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) and Moore combined to block Monique Pritz before Moore ended the game at 34-32 with a kill.
Indiana opened up game two with a quick 2-0 lead and held the advantage until Michigan rallied for a quartet of points to take an 11-7 lead, which it would not relinquish. The Hoosiers got within two points, but the Wolverines were too strong, hitting .306 in the frame to post a 30-23 victory.
Game three opened with a scoreboard malfunction, requiring the score to be kept by flip boards down on the floor. The distraction did not seem to bother the Wolverines, as they notched five service aces -- including three straight by Cobler -- and held Indiana to a .105 hitting percentage on their way to a 30-20 win to close out the match.
Michigan finished the match hitting .252, while the Hoosiers posted a .195 clip. Junior Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) chipped in 12 kills to aid the Wolverines offensively and posted her second straight double-double with 11 digs. Junior Sarah Allen (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg HS) led the squad with 13 digs, while junior Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS) posted her second consecutive double-double with 39 assists and 10 digs. Moore and freshman Megan Bowman (St. John, Ind./Lake Central HS) paced the team with three blocks each.
The Wolverines will close out their three-match homestand on Wednesday (Nov. 5) when they host Michigan State in the final match of the State Pride Series. Opening serve is slated for 7 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On the match ... "I thought our players did a nice job of staying really steady. In game one, we sided out really well, but we really didn't play that good of defense or not as good of defense as I like. And so the game stayed a little bit close, and I think when it came down to end, it was pretty dangerous. In games two and three, the defensive level was a little bit higher and we were able to separate and push away from them so that the game wasn't close. It's always nice to keep it not close; it keeps the pressure off us a little bit."
On establishing homecourt dominance ... "That was the focus for us, that we realized that we weren't playing as well as we thought we needed to at home. And I think we were taking it for granted a little bit. We were just figuring, 'Hey, we're at home and we'll play well.'Â I think we've been really focused at getting better on the road and maybe hadn't been as focused at home. I think the girls did a really nice job of turning that around. We need to make sure we are good in both places. And in this conference, you get a win anywhere, it's important. I thought the girls did a really nice job of that. It's a tough weekend with lots of stuff going on socially on a college campus. And our players did a nice job staying focused, and we were very good tonight."
On the upcoming Michigan State match ... "It's going to be a great matchup. We had a lot of success up at their place, and we've had a lot of success recently against them. They are a very good team, and they are going to come in very hungry. And as I have said all along with that match, it is going to come down to who plays the best. We are both very evenly matched teams, so who's going to have their best night that night. And certainly we have to be prepared to do that, and if we do, I think we'll be fine. And it'll be a great match. They are going to come in hungry."
NOTES
• Michigan's home wins against Purdue and Indiana mark the first time this season it has taken both home matches of a Big Ten weekend.
• The Wolverines have won four straight home matches against Indiana and have swept the Hoosiers this season, winning both matches by a 3-0 margin.
• U-M has posted a 3-0 win in each weekend of Big Ten play this year, and has notched six of its eight league wins by virtue of a sweep.
• Michigan has won three straight Big Ten matches, tying its longest streak of the season. U-M's longest Big Ten winning streak in school history is four matches.
• With eight matches to play in the Big Ten season, Michigan is two wins away from equaling last season's total of 10. The school record for Big Ten wins is 13, set in 1997. Since 1982, only five teams in school history have notched 10 or more wins in league play.
• Erin Moore has recorded 10 or more kills in all but two matches this season, including a career-high 13 straight.
• Jennifer Gandolph registered her team-high 14th double-double She has posted a double-doubnle in four of her last five outings, including two straight.
• Sarah Allen has registered 10 or more digs in eight of the last nine matches, including six straight. Allen has topped the 10-dig mark 13 times this year and on 14 occasions in her career.
