Michigan
10-0
Utah Valley State
5-3
A Perfect 10: Michigan Prevails in Battle of Wolverines
9/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 10 University of Michigan volleyball team continued its hot start with its 10th win of the season, downing Utah Valley State 3-0 (30-22, 30-21, 33-31) in the opening match of the Michigan/Nike Invitational, Friday morning (Sept. 14) at Cliff Keen Arena. Michigan climbs to 10-0 on the season and remains the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten Conference.
Senior Stesha Selsky (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) moved up the Big Ten's all-time digs list with the seventh-most digs in a single match in U-M program history, recording a mammoth 31 digs in the three-game set. On offense, senior Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) continued to be Michigan's go-to point-maker, recording a match-high 15 kills and serving up four aces to move into fourth place on U-M's all-time aces list.
Sophomore Veronica Rood (Temperance, Mich./Bedford) kept up the pressure on the left side when Bruzdzinski rotated to the back row, recording 12 kills of her own, including six in the second frame. Junior Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) rounded out the double-digit killers with 10 terminations while leading U-M with a .421 attack percentage.
Michigan took control of game one from the jump, using six kills on eight swings from senior Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) and an eye-popping 13 digs from Selsky to grab a 30-22 advantage. Bruzdzinski added four kills and a pair of aces as well.
Game two was much of the same for the home Wolverines, with Rood exerting her will on the outside with six kills and freshman Lexi Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) serving up three aces in the period in a 30-21 victory. Senior Sarah Draves (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) added four kill and a pair of blocks to the stat sheet, while Selsky turned mortal with eight digs in the period.
The visiting Wolverines came out for a fight in game three, pushing Michigan into extra points before U-M could rally and win out, 33-31. Michigan trailed for most of the game and faced two game points, down 29-27. A kill form Bruzdzinski and a Utah Valley State attack error knotted it at 29-29, and Karpiak slammed down a kill to make it 30-29, but neither team could end it with the squads trading points to 31-31. Bruzdzinski nailed her final kill of the morning to make it 32-31, and Karpiak put away the match with a big kill up the middle to keep Michigan's unbeaten streak alive.
Michigan returns to Cliff Keen Arena tonight to take on the Temple Owls at 7:30 p.m. in the fourth match of the Michigan/Nike Invitational.
N O T E S
Michigan's 10-0 start is the second best start in program history. Last season, U-M opened up 13-0 en route to its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five seasons.
Senior Stesha Selsky's 31 digs against Utah Valley State raised her career total to 1,658, moving her past Iowa's Jenny Rees (1,632, 1987-90) and into a sixth-place tie with Northwestern's Christie Gardner (2002-05) on the Big Ten's all-time digs list.
Selsky had the seventh-most single-match digs in school history with 31 despite having just three games to achieve the feat.
With four service aces against Utah Valley State, senior Katie Bruzdzinski moved into fourth place on U-M all-times aces list with 137, passing Fiona Davidson (136, 1990-93).
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
