Michigan
12-2
Duke
9-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 22 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 13 | 2 |
| Michigan | 25 | 21 | 25 | 15 | 15 | 3 |
Fifth-Set Comeback Propels Michigan to Victory over Duke
9/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Event: Coke/Michigan Invitational
Score: #22 Michigan 3, Duke 2 (25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 15-25, 15-13)
Records: U-M (12-2), Duke (9-3)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 21 -- vs. Indiana (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Down 8-5 in the fifth and deciding set, the 22nd-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team rallied from that deficit to defeat Duke 3-2 in the sixth match of the Coke/Michigan Invitational Saturday night (Sept. 15) at Cliff Keen Arena. Set scores were 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 15-25 and 15-13.
Kelly Murphy
Michigan had four players in double figures in kills, led by junior Lexi Erwin's (Spring, Texas/Woodlands College Park) 18 terminations. Freshman Kelly Murphy (Marietta, Ga./Walton) and junior Molly Toon (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) both had kill-dig double-doubles. Murphy had 14 kills and 14 digs, while Toon had 10 apiece. Junior Jennifer Cross (Scarborough, Ontario/Birchmount Park Collegiate) had 11 kills and seven blocks. Sophomore Lexi Dannemiller (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) had an assist-dig double-double with 56 assists and 10 digs. Freshman Tiffany Morales (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) led the Michigan dig parade with 15.
Duke opened the fifth set with a 3-1 lead and made it 7-4 on a Michigan attack error. Chelsea Cook's kill gave Duke a 9-7 lead, but Michigan started its comeback with a kill from fifth-year senior Claire McElheny (Westfield, Ind./Brebeuf Prep) and an assisted block from McElheny and Cross, tying the set at 9-all. Duke then went back up by two points (12-10), forcing U-M to take timeout. Erwin and Toon had back-to-back kills to make it 12-all and a big kill from Toon gave Michigan its first lead in the set. A Duke bad set then gave the Wolverines match point. Duke held off one match point on a Michigan service error, but Erwin's kill gave Michigan the 15-13 win and the match.
Michigan took the first set 25-20, hitting .345 and having four blocks in the game. Michigan went up 5-1 off the hot serve of Toon and took an 8-4 advantage on a Cross service ace. Blocks from Toon and freshman Krystalyn Goode (River Hills, Wis./Nicolet) made it 12-7 Wolverines and an Erwin kill gave Michigan a five-point lead at 16-11. Duke tightened the set late, getting to 22-20 on a Cross error, but she redeemed herself with a kill to end the set in Michigan's favor.
Duke hit .257 to take set two despite five kills apiece from Murphy and Erwin. Michigan led 11-8 on a Murphy service ace, but Duke took a 14-13 lead on an Elizabeth Campbell kill. Duke led by more than one point for the first time in the set at 19-17 on a block and went up 22-18 on a service ace. The Blue Devils closed out the set on a Jeme Obeime kill.
Michigan came out of the break and held the Blue Devils to .053 on the attack in a 25-20 win. Duke took a 12-6 lead on a block, but Michigan came back to tie the score at 12 on a Murphy kill. Michigan scored six straight points off Cross' serve to take its first lead of the set. Michigan then scored three straight points to go up 17-13 and a McElheny kill made it 20-15 in favor of the Wolverines. Duke cut the advantage to 23-20, but a Blue Devil service error and attack error put the Maize and Blue up two sets to one.
Duke forced the fifth set by taking set four 25-15. The Blue Devils went up 12-5 on an Emily Sklar kill. Duke scored five straight points in the middle of the set as a Cook kill gave Duke a nine-point advantage (19-8). A Toon kill on Michigan's side out made it 22-14, but the Blue Devils closed out the set on a block.
Both teams had 10 blocks on the night. Michigan hit .204, while Duke had a .213 hitting percentage. The two teams combined for 11 service aces and 21 service errors.
Michigan concluded the non-conference portion of its schedule and starts Big Ten play this Friday (Sept. 21) against Indiana. First serve at Cliff Keen Arena is at 7 p.m.
NOTES
• Lexi Erwin and Jennifer Cross both were named to the Coke/Michigan Invitational All-Tournament team. It was Erwin's fourth consecutive all-tournament team selection, while Cross picked up her first of the season.
• Michigan is now 3-1 in five-set matches after going the distance on consecutive nights. Michigan defeated Virginia Tech on Aug. 25 and Arkansas on Sept. 1 in five sets and fell to Western Kentucky on Sept. 14.
• Kelly Murphy had her second career double-double after having 14 kills and 14 digs on the night. Murphy also had a double-double in the Virginia Tech win on Aug. 25 (13 kills, 11 digs).
• Lexi Dannemiller had her second double-double of the season and 17th overall. She also had a double-double in the Virginia Tech win with 57 assists and 14 digs.
• Molly Toon picked up her first career double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs on the night. Her 10 digs are a season high.
• Michigan now leads the all-time series with Duke 2-1.
• Michigan had four players in double figures in kills for the second time in as many weeks and the fourth time this season. Michigan also had four players in double figures in wins over North Florida (Aug. 24), Arkansas (Sept. 1) and Northern Iowa (Sept. 8).
• Lexi Erwin led Michigan in kills for the 10th time this season and the 25th time in her career. She led Michigan in terminations in all three matches of the Coke/Michigan Invitational.
• Tiffany Morales led the team in digs for the 12th time this season. She also led Michigan in digs all three matches of the Coke/Michigan Invitational.
• Jennifer Cross had double figures in kills for the fourth time this year and ninth in her career.
