Michigan
6-0
Iowa State
5-1
Michigan Comes Back in Gritty Victory Over Iowa State
9/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
IRVINE, Calif. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team overcame a late 10-point deficit in game three, rallying from a 27-17 hole to win the frame 30-28, and fought to a 3-1 (23-30, 30-28, 30-28, 30-28) win over previously undefeated Iowa State, Saturday (Sept. 2) at the UC Irvine Nike Invitational at Crawford Court.
The Wolverines and Cyclones were knotted at one game apiece when Michigan climbed out of its horrible hole to take game three and wrest control of the match from the high-flying Cyclones.
Junior Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) led the way with 17 kills, with fifth-year senior Erin Penn (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) and junior Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) close behind with 13 terminations apiece. Senior Megan Bowman (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) was a wall on the net, recording 10 blocks, while Penn added six rejections. Phenomenal freshman server Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) served for a match-high 29 points -- including eight straight to end the game three rally -- while notching a career-best 18 digs.
Michigan improves to 6-0 on the season, while Iowa State falls to 5-1.
Michigan found itself trailing by seven, 20-13, midway through game one but fought back within two points before the Cyclones whipped it into gear to take the frame. Bruzdzinski was credited with five kills in the period, but nine Wolverine attack errors and four Cyclone team blocks put U-M in the hole for the first time all season.
The Wolverines battled back in game two, staking themselves to a five-point lead (27-22 ) late thanks to strong blocking by Penn and sophomore Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) and some great back row defense from Bower. Iowa State fought back to within one, down 28-27, but a timely Michigan timeout led to the final two Wolverine points, capped by junior Stesha Selsky's (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) emphatic two-handed dump at game point to knot the match at one game apiece.
Michigan showed its heart in game three by turning sure defeat into sudden victory. With U-M down by 10 points late in the game, 27-17, Miller notched a kill to bring Selsky to the service line. Michigan railed off three points with Selsky serving hard at the line, forcing two U-M blocks and an attack error before Iowa State could end the run with the score 28-21. The Wolverines rebounded with a kill by Penn to make it 28-22, bringing Bower back to the line to serve. Bower hammered difficult serve after difficult serve at the Cyclones, throwing them off their offensive rhythm and helping Michigan set an effective attack.
A block by Bruzdzinski and Bowman set up a Bruzdzinski kill and then a Bower ace to make it 28-25 ISU. Another kill from Penn burned the Cyclones' last timeout, putting U-M just two points back at 28-26. The run continued with a block by Bowman followed by the game-tying kill from Bruzdzinski to knot it at 28-28. With Iowa State on its heels, Bowman stuffed another Cyclone attack and Bruzdzinski put it away with an exclamation kill for the come-from-behind win.
Iowa State overcame its own eight-point deficit in game four, rallying from 13-5 down to close within two, 28-26. Karpiak was the catalyst for Michigan's offense in the fourth, tallying eight of her 11 kills in the frame to help Michigan secure the win.
Michigan takes on the host Anteaters in the finale of the UC Irvine Nike Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 2) at 7 p.m. PDT.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
