Michigan
15-4, 2-4Big Ten
Illinois
11-5, 2-4Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 24 | 26 | 30 | 23 | 1 |
| Michigan | 30 | 30 | 24 | 30 | 3 |
U-M Takes Second in a Row to Move Up Big Ten Ladder
10/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: Michigan def. Illinois 3-1 (30-24, 30-26, 24-30, 30-23)
Records: U-M (15-4, 2-4 Big Ten), Illinois (11-5, 2-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Oct. 11 -- vs. Michigan State (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team made it two in a row with a four-pronged offensive attack and four double-digit dig outings on defense to down Illinois in four games (30-24, 30-26, 24-30, 30-23) Sunday afternoon (Oct. 8) at Cliff Keen Arena.
Junior Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) was the most effective of the bunch, leading all Wolverines with 17 kills and hitting .350 while adding three blocks. Sophomore Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) and fifth-year senior Erin Penn (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) each chipped in with 13 kills, while Bruzdzinski cracked the double-digit kill mark for the 32nd time in a row with 10 terminations. Bruzdzinski also added a season-high 16 digs and four aces for her second double-double in a row.
Michigan took a 2-0 lead in the match thanks to balanced play, tallying 10 more kills and nine more digs than Illinois through the first two periods. After the intermission, a rejuvenated Illini squad took game three thanks to nine kills from Kayani Tyler, but the Wolverines regrouped and, once again, spread the wealth on offense and recorded five team blocks in the fourth game to win 3-1.
Michigan improves to 15-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, while Illinois drops to 11-5 and 2-4 in-conference. The Wolverine victories this weekend put them into a four-way tie for fifth place in the Big Ten with Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern and Illinois.
Miller led off game one with a pair of kills for a 2-1 lead, putting the Wolverines ahead, where they would remain for the duration of the period. Miller finished with eight kills in game one, helping Michigan post a .333 attack percentage in the frame. Bruzdzinski was stellar on defense with seven digs, while Hance added five.
U-M rallied from a three-point, 19-16 deficit in game two, tying it up at 20-20 and then pulling ahead for good on a pair of Illini attack errors. Bruzdzinski and Karpiak led a balanced attack with four kills, with Miller chipping in three.
Illinois fought back into the match in the third, holding a 10-point advantage at one point, 24-14, before prolonging the match with a 30-24 win. The Illini recorded four service aces in the period, while Kayani Tyler blew up for nine kills on 16 swings. Michigan's attack was led by Penn, who tallied six kills on eight swings in the stanza.
Michigan fought through 11 ties and four lead changes in game four before taking the lead for good at 18-17 on an error from Illinois' Tyler. The Wolverines stormed down the stretch with a 12-6 run, capitalizing on a pair of backbreaking aces from Bruzdzinski and four team blocks.
Michigan hosts Michigan State in a midweek showdown on Wednesday (Oct. 11) at 7 p.m. in Cliff Keen Arena. The match will be the first of the State Pride Series and will be broadcast on Comcast Local. Tickets for the match are being sold in advance and are $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and children ages 18 and under. U-M students and faculty/staff will still receive free admission with a valid Mcard, and it is recommended that they pick up their tickets in person from the U-M Ticket Office.
To order tickets, call the Michigan Athletic Ticket Office at (734) 764-0247 (local) or (866) 296-6849 (toll free) or visit the U-M Ticket Office at 1000 South State Street, Ann Arbor. The U-M Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
NOTES
• Senior Megan Bowman moved into a tie for second place on U-M's all-time blocking list with four rejections over the weekend. Bowman currently has 432 blocks on her resume, equal to Erin Moore's (2000-03) 432. Bowman now needs 41 blocks to become the Wolverines' all-time leading blocker.
• Junior Lyndasy Miller cracked U-M's top 10 list for career blocks with three rejections this weekend. She is now in a tie for 10th on the list with 312 blocks, equaling Carla Hunter (1986-89).
• Junior Stesha Selsky digs ever closer to the U-M all-time digs record, needing just 123 to take sole possession of first place.
• Michigan head coach Mark Rosen is two victories shy of recording the 135th win of his U-M career. Rosen has 342 wins on his college coaching resume, 133 with the Wolverines.
