Michigan
3-0
Colorado State
0-3
Mahalo! Michigan Defeats Rams to Win Rainbow Invite
8/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Led by 18 kills apiece from senior Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) and junior Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township), the University of Michigan volleyball team won the ASICS Rainbow Wahine Invitational with a 3-1 win over Colorado State (25-30, 30-24, 30-25, 30-22) Sunday, Aug. 26, in the Stan Sheriff Center.
Michigan (3-0) and Colorado State (0-3) battled through 11 ties and five lead changes in game one, but it was the Rams who took control at the midway point, holding a lead from 16-15 on and taking game one, 30-25. The Rams hit a gaudy .531 in the first frame, negating the Wolverines' decent .244 attack percentage. Michigan did get four kills from senior Sarah Draves (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) and sophomore Veronica Rood (Temperance, Mich./Bedford), but tough Ram serving and efficient hitting put U-M in a hole.
The second game was one of streaks, as the Wolverines rallied from a four-point, 11-7 deficit with a 12-2 run, only to have Colorado State respond with its own 8-1 run to make it 21-20 CSU. The Wolverines' final run was all that mattered, as U-M polished off the frame with a 10-3 run to even the match at 1-1 with a 30-24 win. Bruzdzinski keyed the offense at the end with six kills in the period, while senior Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) had four and Karpiak three in game two. Michigan also added four team blocks, led by two each from Draves and Miller.
Michigan continued to set the tempo in game three and hold off the late charging rams, building a 10-1 lead and then keeping a lead at 17-15 to win 30-25. Miller was pivotal in game three, recording four straight kills in four straight points to fend off the Rams at 18-16 and make it 22-16 Wolverines, effectively stealing momentum. She finished with six kills in the period, while Bruzdzinski spread six terminations around herself. Senior Stesha Selsky's (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) seven digs anchored the back line, and Karpiak and Draves' solid blocking on the outside forced CSU star Jaime Strauss into three attack errors.
Michigan maintained its momentum in game four, building a nice lead to once again fend off a charging Colorado State squad. Effective blocking on the Rams' left side and key attacks up the middle gave U-M sizeable leads and helped it pull out the win.
Michigan returns to the Midwest to compete in the Miami (Ohio) Classic Friday and Saturday (Aug. 31-Sept. 1), taking on the host Redhawks on Friday (Aug. 31) at 7 p.m. at Millett Hall.
N O T E S
Saturday's (Aug. 25) victory over Oregon State was head coach Mark Rosen's 350th career win.
Three Wolverines earned all-tournament team honors. Senior libero Stesha Selsky was named tournament MVP, while freshman Lexi Zimmerman and junior Beth Karpiak earned all-tournament team honors.
Michigan begins the season 3-0 for the third time in the last three seasons. In 2004, Michigan went 8-0 to start the year, and in 2006 U-M started the year a program-best 13-0.
Freshman Maggie Busch (Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Christian) saw her first collegiate action, checking in to serve in game three.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
