Michigan
17-5 (5-5Big Ten)
Purdue
13-8 (6-4Big Ten)
Purdue Upsets Michigan in Topsy Turvy Match
10/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 15 University of Michigan volleyball team had its comeback bid denied on an error filled evening against Purdue, falling 3-1 (29-31, 27-30, 31-29, 20-30) Saturday night (Oct. 20) in Cliff Keen Arena.
Michigan fell behind two games to none after a pair of hotly contested periods but rallied to win game three in thrilling fashion after surviving match point. The comeback bid was not to be as Purdue caught fire in the fourth game, leading from the jump to hand Michigan just its fifth loss all season. For the match, Michigan was able to out-kill Purdue by nine terminations, but U-M tallied 20 more errors than the visiting squad which proved insurmountable.
The Wolverines fall to 17-5 (5-5 Big Ten) while Purdue climbs to 13-8 (6-4 Big Ten). U-M has 10 regular-season matches remaining on its schedule.
Senior Katie Bruzdzinski(Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) led the way with her second straight 20-plus kill outing, tallying a match-high 22 terminations and adding 14 digs. Senior Stesha Selsky(Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) had her third-straight 20-plus dig outing, leading all Wolverines with 27. Senior Lyndsay Miller(Ida, Mich./Ida) cracked double-digits in the kill column with 15 and led all Wolverines with three blocks, while junior Beth Karpiak(La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) added 12 kills and two blocks.
Game one was a back-and-forth affair that featured a late Wolverine rally, but the Boilermakers were able to stiffen and pull out a 31-29 victory. The teams remained within three points for all but one point in a frame that featured nine ties and just three lead changes. Bruzdzinski had an eye-popping nine kills to lead the offense while Selsky led the way with eight digs and junior Kerry Hance(Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) added seven. Michigan trailed by four, 26-22, but fought back to knot it at 27-27 thanks to a trio of kills from Bruzdzinski and solid Wolverine defense. Freshman Maggie Busch(Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Christian) came in to serve for a pair of points, recording a pair of digs in the process and helping tie it at 27-27 -- but Purdue scored back-to-back points to make it 29-27. Michigan survived a pair of game points to tie it at 29-29, but a U-M service error gave the Boilermakers back the ball with game point on the line again. This time Purdue did not miss, acing U-M for the final point.
Game two was even tighter than the first frame with the teams battling through 15 ties and five lead changes with the largest lead for either team just three points. U-M rallied from a late two-point 26-24 deficit on a kill from sophomore Veronica Rood(Temperance, Mich./Bedford) and a Boilermaker attack error to knot it at 26-26, but a costly U-M service error and a Purdue kills put the visitors up, 28-26. Michigan managed a kill to make it 28-27, but Purdue put together the final two points to win, 30-28. Miller led the way with five kills, while Bruzdzinski and Karpiak totaled four a piece.
The Wolverines rebounded in game three to extend the match, overcoming Purdue in a game that had 16 ties and six lead changes with three points being the largest lead for either team for the second-straight set. Michigan led 25-22 late, but Purdue clawed back to tie it at 28-28. The Boilermakers forced match point at 29-28, but Michigan fought back to tie it and then take the lead on sophomore Megan Bower's (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) third kill of the period, making it 30-29 Wolverines. Bruzdzinski put the icing on the cake with her second ace of the period to give U-M a 31-29 win. Miller finished the period with five kills just in front of Bower's three kills on just four swings. Selsky managed eight digs, while the Wolverines won despite being out-hit, .235 to .196.
Purdue took full advantage of 12 Michigan attack errors in game four, hitting .429 as a team and leading from the jump to close the match out with a 30-20 victory. Bruzdzinski managed five kills for Michigan and Miller blocked a pair of balls, but Purdue's 80 percent sideout success and eight team blocks stopped the Wolverine comeback cold.
Michigan hits the road to begin the second half of the Big Ten season with matches at Northwestern and Michigan State. The Wolverines and Wildcats will square off on Friday (Oct. 26) in Evanston at 7 p.m. CDT, before U-M travels to East Lansing for a Saturday (Oct. 27) tilt with MSU at 6:30 p.m. Michigan defeated each squad in Cliff Keen Arena earlier this season.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
