Michigan
4-0
Toledo
1-3
MVP Selsky Leads U-M Past Toledo for Classic Crown
8/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Toledo, Ohio (Savage Hall)
Event: Rocket Classic
Score: Michigan def. Toledo 3-0 (30-17, 30-24, 30-22)
Records: U-M (4-0), Toledo (1-3)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 1 -- vs. San Diego at Holiday Inn UC Irvine Classic (Irvine, Calif.), 4 p.m. PDT
TOLEDO, Ohio -- The University of Michigan volleyball team fended off a gritty Toledo squad on its home turf, sweeping the Rockets 30-17, 30-24, 30-22 Saturday night (Aug. 26) in the finale of the Rocket Classic at Savage Hall.
Michigan handled Toledo easily in game one but faced dogged competition in games two and three, relying on timely serving and solid defense to take the Rocket Volleyball Classic crown.
Junior all-tournament honoree Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) led the Wolverines with 12 kills, while junior Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) finished with 11 terminations and also earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Sophomore Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) also finished with 11 kills, hitting an interstellar .688 against the Rockets and adding a pair of blocks to the cause.
Junior Stesha Selsky (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount), the tournament MVP, led the Wolverines with 16 digs and added three kills and 45 assists in leading Michigan to a .361 team hitting percentage.
Michigan battled even with Toledo through the early goings, trailing 8-7 in game one until fifth-year senior Erin Penn (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) served for seven straight points, sparking a Wolverine rally and helping U-M take a 14-9 advantage. From there, Michigan extended its lead to 19-11 on solid defense from Penn and Karpiak at the net, while senior Megan Bowman's (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) presence in the middle rewarded her with a kill. Six Wolverines finished the frame with at least two kills, while the team hit .486 in the period.
The Rockets held tough in game two, overcoming a five-point, 20-15 deficit to close within three, down 26-23, before the Wolverines scrubbed their launch. U-M out-hit Toledo .400 to .238 in the second frame, led by four kills each for Bowman, Bruzdzinski and Miller.
Toledo forced Michigan into a corner in game three, taking the lead until U-M knotted the game at 11-11, and the Wolverines took their first lead of the frame, 13-12. Nevertheless, the Rockets stood tough, leading again, 20-19, before Karpiak registered her 11th kill of the night, bringing sophomore Liz Raschke (Portage, Mich./Portage Central) to the service line. Raschke took the ball and served for 10 straight points, recording two service aces in the process and sending the Rocket offense into a tailspin. When Toledo finally knocked Raschke off the service line, the score was 28-21 Wolverines and the damage was done.
Joining Selsky, Bruzdzinski and Miller on the all-tournament team were Kate Bean of Toledo, Aquila Orr and Julia Noe of Western Kentucky, and Lindsey Frank of Wright State.
Michigan travels to Irvine, Calif., for the Holiday Inn UC Irvine Classic to face CSTV/AVCA Preseason No. 20 San Diego, the Iowa State Cyclones and the host Anteaters next Friday and Saturday (Sept. 1-2).
