Michigan
Northwestern
Miller and Bruzdzinski Not Enough Against Wildcats
10/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill -- Seeking its first five-game win of the year, the University of Michigan volleyball team fought back from a two games to one deficit, and led 9-5 in the deciding frame, when Northwestern used a late run to wrest control of the match and defeat the Wolverines, 3-2 (30-22, 29-31, 23-30, 30-23, 12-15) Saturday night (Oct. 28) in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Michigan led 9-5 in the fifth and deciding game thanks to four of junior Lyndsay Miller's (Ida, Mich./Ida) match high 18 kills, but Northwestern fought back with a 6-2 run to tie the score at 11-11. With momentum and the home crowd on its side, Northwestern railed off three-straight points, forcing match point at 14-11 before sending the Wolverines home, 15-12.
Miller had a stellar match, finishing with 18 kills, one block and a career-best four aces. Junior Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) was essential to the Wolverines' success, serving three-straight aces in the fourth and finishing with five service aces, while adding 17 kills, 16 digs and three blocks. Bruzdzinski had four kills in game five and seven in game one, putting the Wolverines on her back on more than one occasion. Defensively, freshman Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) tied the team lead with 16 digs, while fifth-year senior Erin Penn (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) added 13. Sophomore Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) also had a big match with 15 kills and six blocks.
Bruzdzinski hammered seven kills in game one, including three critical terminations down the stretch and the game-ending ace, to help push Michigan to a 30-22 win. Karpiak and Miller each finished the period with five kills, while Karpiak also added a pair of blocks. Michigan jumped out to an early six-point lead, 13-7, thanks to three kills each from Karpiak and Miller, but the Wildcats chipped away at the deficit until they pulled within one, 21-20. The Wolverines put together back-to-back points, burning Northwestern's final timeout, and continued through the pause to explode on a 6-2 run with three more kills from Bruzdzinski to make it 29-22. With game point, Bruzdzinski nailed an ace, putting game one to bed and giving Michigan the win.
The Wolverines took a two-point, 10-8 lead to start game two, but Northwestern forced a six-point swing to take its own four-point, 16-12 lead, stealing momentum from the Wolverines. U-M fought back to tie it at 17-17 on a pair of kills from junior Stesha Selsky (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) and a pair of team blocks; the teams jousted down the stretch, deadlocking the score six times until the 25-25 mark. The Wildcats put together four points in a row to force game point at 29-25, but the Wolverines took advantage of a setting error on the home team to send Miller to the line with the score 29-26. Miller served an ace on her first attempt to make it 29-27, then Bruzdzinski and Karpiak combined for a stuff, keeping the game alive at 29-28. On the next serve, Michigan parried Northwestern's attack, and Karpiak hammered home a kill to tie it at 29-29. Despite the momentum being solely in Michigan's favor, Northwestern finally handled Miller's serve, setting up a kill on the left side for Northwestern outside hitter Lindsay Anderson. NU then used a Wolverine attack error to win game two, heading to the locker room tied at one game apiece.
Michigan came out on fire to start game three, taking a 5-3 lead -- but Northwestern responded with a momentum seizing 9-0 run to make it 12-5, and put the Wolverines in a big hole. U-M fought back within five on a number of occasions, but the Wildcats used big defensive plays and timely breaks to stay ahead of the Wolverines and win, 30-23.
The teams tied eight times to battle to a 12-12 stalemate at the midway point of game four, until Bruzdzinski put the Wolverines on her back, serving three straight aces in a five-point U-M run, making the count 16-13 Wolverines. Northwestern was able to close within a point, 18-17, but Michigan used a 5-2 run to pull ahead, 23-17, and take control of the period to force game five with a 30-23 win.
Michigan began the fifth frame with a flurry, taking a 9-5 lead on four kills from Miller and a pair from Bruzdzinski. Northwestern rebounded after burning its final timeout, embarking on a 6-1 run of its own to take an 11-10 lead, burning both U-M timeouts in the process. Michigan tied it at 11-11, but three-straight points from the hot Wildcats forced game point at 14-11. Michigan pulled a little closer on a Wildcat service error, but Northwestern hammered the final kill of the night on the left side, pulling off the close win on its home court.
Michigan returns home for a pair of matches against top-25 competition, beginning with a Rock The House showdown vs. No. 14 Wisconsin on Friday (Nov. 3), then facing No. 12 Minnesota on Saturday (Nov. 4) at Cliff Keen Arena. Both matches begin at 7 p.m.
N O T E S
With three rejections tonight, senior Megan Bowman took sole possession of second place on U-M's all-time blocks list. Bowman is now 37 blocks away from matching Katrina Lehman's record.
Sophomore Megan Bower competed in her 25th collegiate match against Northwestern.
Sophomore Beth Karpiak hit the 100 block milestone tonight.
Junior Lyndsay Miller made her 80th career start against the Wildcats.
Freshman Veronica Rood saw action in her 10th match at Northwestern.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
