Michigan
20-9, 7-9Big Ten
Indiana
10-18, 1-15Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 30 | 30 | 30 | 3 |
| Indiana | 20 | 21 | 28 | 0 |
Michigan Hits 20 Wins in Victory Over Hoosiers
11/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Bloomington, Ind. (University Gym)
Score: Michigan def. Indiana 3-0 (30-20, 30-21, 30-28)
Records: U-M (20-9, 7-9 Big Ten), Indiana (10-18, 1-15 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Nov. 17 -- vs. Ohio State (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team mixed a balanced attack -- with the sure strike ability of junior Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) when they needed it -- and used three double-digit kill performances and Bruzdzinski's 20 terminations to sweep Indiana 3-0 (30-20, 30-21, 30-28) Saturday night in the University Gym.
Junior setter Stesha Selsky (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) spread the Wolverine offense all night, setting five Wolverines with at least 19 balls and contributing to double-digit kill performances for Bruzdzinski, fifth-year senior Erin Penn (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) and freshman Veronica Rood (Temperance, Mich./Bedford). Penn slammed 12 kills in the match, including six in game three, while Rood powered 19 kills on the night. Selsky set the Wolverines to .300 hitting percentages in game one and two, adding three kills, eight digs, one block and 43 assists to her line.
Michigan's tandem of marvelous middles, sophomore Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) and junior Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida), combined for 15 kills and five blocks, with Miller making two momentum swinging rejections late in game three to help the Wolverines sweep. At libero, freshman Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) had 13 digs in the first frame alone and finished with 21, also recording a rare kill on a weird play in the third frame.
The win gives Michigan its third 20-win season in four campaigns and pushes the team to 20-9 overall (7-9 Big Ten) with a chance to grab a share of sixth place in the conference barring results in matches featuring Northwestern and Michigan State. Indiana drops to 10-18 (1-15) and continues its 15 match losing streak.
Selsky spread the love through much of game one, setting up three kills for five separate Wolverines to make the score 25-16, Michigan. From that point on, Bruzdzinski took the wheel, hammering four kills for the final five points to hand the Wolverines a 30-20 victory. Bruzdzinski finished the frame with nine kills on 16 swings (.438), while freshman Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) was all over the floor, recording 13 digs in the period.
Michigan took an early seven-point, 11-4 lead to begin game two on two kills from Karpiak and a pair of kills and an ace from Bruzdzinski, but Indiana fought back to within three, using a 7-3 run to give Michigan a slim 14-11 lead. The Wolverines refused to panic and clawed back with a 7-3 run of their own to push Indiana into a timeout with the score 22-14. Bruzdzinski contributed another ace and two more kills down the stretch, while Miller hammered a pair of terminations and sophomore Kerry Hance (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) served up her second ace in as many nights to give U-M a 30-21 win, heading into the intermission leading two games to none.
Indiana attempted to prolong the night in a thrilling third game, forcing the Wolverines to fight through eight overall lead changes to squeak out a 30-28 U-M victory. Michigan trailed early before knotting it up at 6-6 and taking a lead of its own, but Indiana fought back to take its own lead, 15-14, and force the Wolverines to play catch-up. Bruzdzinski scored two kills, and Karpiak had one, tying it up 18-18 as the teams battled down the backstretch deadlocking five more times -- until a momentum swinging block by Miller gave U-M the upper hand at 25-24. Miller followed her thunderous rejection with another block to give Michigan a 26-24 lead, then a fabulous dig by Bower traveled over the net and landed for a kill to make it 27-25, Wolverines. Bruzdzinski took the Hoosier by the horns for the next two Michigan points, slamming a pair of kills on the left side to make it 29-28, and Penn iced the weekend for the Wolverines with a sweet strike on the right side, sending two Wolverine squads home to Ann Arbor from Bloomington with victories.
Michigan returns to Cliff Keen Arena for its final two home games of the 2006 season, hosting current No. 23 Ohio State and current No. 3 Penn State. The Wolverines will host the Buckeyes on Friday night (Nov. 17) on Senior Night in Cliff Keen Arena, while U-M will face Penn State on Saturday night (Nov. 18) on Parents Night. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.
