Michigan
16-10, 8-7Big Ten
Penn State
23-4, 12-3Big Ten
Gandolph Reaches Milestone in Setback to Penn State
11/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â State College, Pa. (Rec Hall)
Score:Â #16 Penn State 3, Michigan 1 (30-19, 24-30, 30-27, 30-18)
Records:Â U-M (16-10, 8-7 Big Ten), PSU (23-4, 12-3 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event:Â Sunday, Nov. 16 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 2 p.m.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team dropped its third straight match, falling to No. 16 Penn State by a 3-1 margin (30-19, 24-30, 30-27, 30-18) on Friday night (Nov. 14) in front of 2,480 fans at PSU's Rec Hall. Senior Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) posted a team-high 19 kills in the loss, while junior Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) added 14 kills and 20 digs to become the first player in U-M history to record 1,000 career digs and kills.
Gandolph notched her 1,000th career dig with her 20th of the night and improved her career kill total to 1,136. Gandolph is the sixth played in Michigan volleyball history to post 1,000 career digs.
The Wolverines, in the midst of a three-match road swing, are now 0-12 in State College in the program's history, and they succumbed to a season sweep by the Nittany Lions, who posted a 3-2 victory earlier in the year (Sept. 27) at Cliff Keen Arena.
Penn State jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead with a 30-19 win in game one, hitting .385 while holding Michigan to a .158 mark. The Nittany Lions took the lead from the start and never gave it up, ending the match with five of the last six points to take the victory.
In game two, Michigan equaled the match at a game apiece with a 30-24 victory. U-M hit .308 in the game and had to hold on for the victory, as a Penn State rallied from a six-point deficit at 19-13 to pull within one at 24-23. The Wolverines stopped the comeback with six of the game's final seven points to get on the board.
Michigan was on the verge of going up 2-1 in game three, holding a 27-26 lead, but Penn State scored the final four points to take a 30-27 win. The final frame was close until Penn State reeled off nine straight points to go up 18-12 en route to taking the match with a 30-18 victory.
In addition to Moore and Gandolph's offense, sophomore Candace Gay (Detroit, Mich./Sacred Heart HS) tallied 11 kills, marking the fourth time in the last five matches she has notched 10 or more terminations. Defensively, junior Sarah Allen (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg HS) posted a career-high 23 digs to lead the team, while junior Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS) added 14 digs in addition to 48 assists. Moore also got a double-double with 11 digs and a team-high six blocks, while senior Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) added 13 digs.
The Wolverines will close out their three-match road trip on Sunday (Nov. 16), traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. The match is slated for a 2 p.m. start at St. John Arena.
NOTES
• The Wolverines' three-match losing streak is their longest of the season.
• Michigan is 0-12 against Penn State in matches played in State College, Pa.
• Erin Moore has recorded 10 or more kills in all but two matches this season, including a career-high 16 straight.
• With her 19 kills, Moore improved her U-M record career kill total to 1,261.
• Jennifer Gandolph registered her team-high 17th double-double. She has posted a double-double in six of her last seven outings, including five straight.
• Gandolph's 20 digs marked the third time this season she has reached the 20-dig plateau.
• With 20 digs, Gandolph reached 1,000 digs for her career, becoming the first player in U-M history to post 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.
• Sarah Allen has registered 10 or more digs in 11 of the last 12 matches, including nine straight. Allen has topped the 10-dig mark 16 times this year and on 17 occasions in her career.
• Allen's career-high 23 digs marked the first time in her career she has topped the 20-dig mark.
• Danielle Pflum saw her first action since Oct. 18 after missing the last six matches with an injury.
• Candace Gay has posted 10 or more kills in four of her last five matches, including three straight.
