Michigan
11-2
Notre Dame
5-5
Gandolph's 26 Kills Power Wolverines Past Notre Dame
9/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: Michigan def. Notre Dame 3-1 (30-23, 30-25, 27-30, 32-30)
Records: U-M (11-2), Notre Dame (5-5)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 1 -- vs. Purdue (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) recorded a season-high 26 kills, including eight in game four, as the University of Michigan volleyball team closed out a 3-1 (30-23, 30-25, 27-30, 32-30) win over Notre Dame Tuesday night (Sept. 28) at Cliff Keen Arena. Four Wolverines posted double-digit kills, with Gandolph and senior Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial) recording double-doubles. Gandolph added 14 digs to her stellar evening, while Gamalski notched her fifth-straight double-double with a season-high 66 assists and 16 digs.
Sophomore Danielle Pflum (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) finished the match with 16 kills and six digs, while sophomore Erin Cobler (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) had 12 kills and eight digs and freshman Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) had her third straight double-digit kill outing with 11 finishers.
After taking a 14-13 lead early in the fourth game, Michigan fell behind by four, trailing 24-20 thanks to Notre Dame's Kelbley. The Wolverines bit into the lead and closed to within two, 26-24, thanks to freshman Katie Bruzdzinski's (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) first three kills of the match. A Michigan service error made it 27-24 Irish, but a Notre Dame attack error and Gandolph's 22nd kill of the night made it 27-26. Notre Dame responded in kind when Miller rocked a ball down the middle to keep the score close, 28-27. Gandolph tied it on the next point and Bruzdzinski smacked her fourth kill of the night to put Michigan ahead, 29-28.
Serving match point, ND's Kelbley notched her back-to-back kills to flip the game and back Michigan into a corner, 30-29. It was Gandolph who responded again, hammering a ball past the Irish defense to tie the match at 30. Gamalski, who assisted on the tying point, arced a perfect ball over the next for an ace, giving Michigan match point again, up 31-30. U-M fended off the Irish attack in the final point, setting up Gandolph on the outside for her eighth kill of the game and giving Michigan the hard-fought victory.
Michigan led through the first half of game one until Notre Dame tied it at 16-16 and again at 17-17 before a Wolverine attack error put the Irish up 18-17. Gandolph, Pflum and Cobler combined for four of the next five points as the Wolverines took a 22-18 lead which they would never relinquish.
Notre Dame led 5-3 early in game two, but Pflum led Michigan with six kills in the game, while freshman Stesha Selsky (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) helped keep the Irish off the scoreboard with nine digs to help the home squad take a two-game lead into the intermission.
The Irish took the lead in game three and held a 22-19 advantage until back-to-back kills from Cobler and Pflum closed the deficit to 22-21, forcing the Irish to call timeout. Notre Dame jumped to a 5-3 advantage out of the timeout and led 27-24 when sophomore Megan Bowman (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) powered down her third kill of the match to make it 27-25. Notre Dame's Lauren Kelbley responded for the Irish with one of her 24 kills in the match, but Bowman fired right back, notching her fourth kill of the match and making it 28-26. The Irish struck next with a cunning kill from their setter, but Gandolph would not let the Wolverines lose, responding with a punishing kill of her own to save game point, 29-27. With a fourth game looming, Notre Dame received the serve and hammered home the game-winning kill, cutting Michigan's lead to two games to one.
Michigan returns to Big Ten Conference action on Friday (Oct. 1) when it hosts Purdue in the annual Rock The House at 7 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena. The Boilermakers enter the match with two notches in their belts after downing two top-15 teams this season already. On Saturday (Oct. 2), Michigan hosts Indiana at 6 p.m. with free admission to all who bring a U-M hockey ticket stub for the team's exhibition opener vs. Windsor at 7:35 p.m. that night.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Mark Rosen
What worked for the team in games one and two ... "We were steady in games one and two, creating a lot of opportunities back and forth. Notre Dame tested us but we held our ground."
On game three and four ... "We played from behind in both of those games. We had a few bad breaks and suddenly found ourselves with the match on the line. We got rattled in that third game and Notre Dame pulled it out. They played much better in that game and we got out of our system for a while and they took full advantage. Notre Dame is a good club. I was very impressed on how we played in game four. We changed our mentality and with a fifth game looming, Jen (Gandolph) wanted that ball. Gamo (Lisa Gamalski) and Jen worked like veterans down the stretch and willed us to a win."
On freshman Lyndsay Miller ..."For a freshman she did great in this match. You could tell that based on tape they committed to stopping her tonight. She did well despite the extra attention."
On Lisa Gamalski ..."She is our floor captain. At the end she made some good choices and led the team towards making good decisions with the match on the line. She's embraced the senior role and has stepped up in the last few weeks. Jen (Gandolph) told her to get her the ball in game four and she did."
Senior Jennifer Gandolph
On taking over game four ... "We were in control in games one and two and then got tentative. I am experienced and it's on me to step up and help us over those lulls. I haven't had good experiences against Notre Dame and felt that I had to step up and help us win this one."
On her role as a senior and as one of U-M's main offensive threats ... "Responsibility comes with my position (outside hitter). I love playing there and I love being a senior. I embrace the challenges and just hope to step up like I did tonight and continue to help the team."
N O T E S
• U-M closes out its non-conference schedule with a 10-1 record.
• Senior Jennifer Gandolph had a season-high 26 kills against the Irish after shelling them for 20 kills two years ago. Gandolph also added a team-high 16 digs for her third double-double of the season. Coincidentally, Gandolph added 17 digs against the Irish in 2002, also notching a double-double in that affair.
• Sophomore Erin Cobler had a season-high 12 kills and a career-high eight digs against the Irish.
• Freshman Stesha Selsky tied a career high with 15 digs against Notre Dame.
• Freshman Lyndsay Miller had her third straight double-digit kill outing, recording 11 finishers against the Irish.
• Senior Lisa Gamalski recorded a season-high 66 assists and her fifth-straight double-double.
