Michigan
15-3, 3-3Big Ten
Northwestern
10-7, 1-5Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | 24 | 19 | 22 | 0 |
| Michigan | 30 | 30 | 30 | 3 |
Bruzdzinski Sets Career Kill Record in Rout of Wildcats
10/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #16 Michigan def. Northwestern 3-0 (30-24, 30-19, 30-22)
Records: U-M (15-3, 3-3 Big Ten), Northwestern (10-7, 1-5 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 12 -- Penn State (State College, Pa.), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) became Michigan's all-time leader in kills and the No. 16 University of Michigan volleyball team swept its second straight opponent Sunday afternoon (Oct. 7), picking up a 30-24, 30-19, 30-22 victory over Northwestern in Cliff Keen Arena.
In front of the lights and atmosphere of the Wolverines' second match televised on the Big Ten Network, Bruzdzinski nailed two of the four kills she needed to break the record in game one, then in game two -- on back-to-back points -- tied and broke it. Bruzdzinski finished with a match-high 11 terminations and 1,570 career kills to pass former Wolverine Jennifer Gandolph (1,562, 2001-04) on the all-time list.
Not content to showcase just her offense, Bruzdzinski also shared the team lead in digs, tying a career best with 18. Senior Stesha Selsky (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) also finished with 18 digs, while freshman Lexi Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) added 12 and sophomore Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) had 10 for the defensively-dominant Wolverines.
Junior Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) led the Wolverines at the net with seven blocks, followed closely by a trio of Wolverines who finished with four rejections: senior Sarah Draves (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti), senior Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) and sophomore Veronica Rood (Temperance, Mich./Bedford). Miller also added nine kills to the offensive total, while Draves had eight and Karpiak and Rood finished with six apiece.
In game one, Michigan limited its attack errors to four and used effective hitting from its middles -- who combined for six kills on 11 swings -- to best Northwestern, 30-24. Karpiak led the offense with four kills on six swings and Bruzdzinski managed five digs in the period. Bruzdzinski's quest for the all-time kills title grew closer with a pair in the first game on eight swings. Junior Kerry Hance (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) played a big role in the game, serving back-to-back aces to make it 27-23 to ice the frame.
Game two was far more lopsided, with the Wolverines gunning to a 5-0 lead -- after riding the momentum of Bruzdzinki's milestone kill early -- to rout the Wildcats, 30-19. Bruzdzinski tied the program record to make it 11-4 and then passed Gandolph in the next attack, making it 12-4 to give U-M control of the game. Bruzdzinski finished with five kills and seven digs in the period, while teammate Selsky managed 11 digs. At the net, Karpiak added three blocks and a kill, while Draves struck for four dramatic kills to add to the tally.
U-M finished the match in game three, limiting Northwestern to a .000 attack percentage. Michigan recorded five team blocks and rode four kills apiece for Bruzdzinski and Miller in a 30-22 win. Bruzdzinski tied her career high for digs with six in the third and added her second ace of the night, while Miller's four kills came on seven swings, giving her a .368 hitting percentage for the afternoon. Karpiak added three more blocks to her total.
Michigan (15-3, 3-3 Big Ten) hits the road next weekend to face Big Ten co-leader Penn State (14-2, 6-0 Big Ten) and Ohio State (8-7, 2-4 Big Ten). The Penn State match Friday (Oct. 12) in State College, Pa., is set for an 8 p.m. start, while the OSU match Saturday (Oct. 13) in Columbus, Ohio, will begin at 7 p.m.
NOTES
• Senior Katie Bruzdzinski became Michigan's all-time leader in kills Sunday (Oct. 7), passing Jennifer Gandolph (2001-04). Bruzdzinski now has 1,570 kills in her career -- eight more than Gandolph.
• Bruzdzinski tied a career best for single-match digs with 18. Bruzdzinski had 18 digs against Michigan State as a sophomore in a five-game match.
• Michigan evened its conference mark at 3-3 to move into a tie for fourth place in Big Ten with Indiana. The winner of Monday's Purdue/Illinois match will join the Hoosiers and Wolverines at 3-3, making it a three-way tie for fourth. Wisconsin and Penn State are atop the conference at 6-0, while Minnesota is third with a 5-1 league mark.
• With the win, Michigan is 8-1 in Cliff Keen Arena this season.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On the match ... "We did a good job of staying steady and being businesslike. We reduced our errors. The other night we were low but tonight we were even lower. That is a big help for us."
On Katie Bruzdzinski's kills record ... "I've said it before but it's a great statement about her entire body of work -- her whole career. She has been steady from her freshman year to her senior year and she is someone who puts up a lot of kills on a consistent basis. The payoff is a record like that. She has a lot of time to push it out of reach for the next person who might challenge it and she's done a great job."
On the team's upcoming road trip to Penn State and Ohio State ... "This is arguably, over the last eight to 10 years, one of the toughest road trips to make. We need to be ready to do a great job against a really good Penn State team and then turn around and be ready to go against a good Ohio State team. Our confidence took a big step this week and I think they're ready to play."
On Friday night's Dig for the Cure ... "It was a great night all around. Our marketing staff and our players and our staff did a great job of organizing a first class and the community supported it more than we could have imagined. It was a great night. We haven't seen the totals yet but we know we made a lot of money for a good cause and at the same time increased awareness out there. We had a lot of fun doing it and it was a win-win for everyone."
U-M Senior Outside Hitter Katie Bruzdzinski
On setting U-M's all-time kills record ... "I think it's cool to set the record. Jen (Gandolph) had it before and she was a really good player so it feels really good to get it. At the same time, I wouldn't be in this position without my teammates. If they aren't getting digs or setting up good blocks or setting well it would never have happened."
On tying a career high for single-match digs ... "Oh, really I think we knew they liked to go high and I sat back deep and read off the blocks and the touches off the hands. Lexi (Zimmerman) and Draves (Sarah) did a great job of getting the ball to me."
