Michigan
13-3, 1-1B1G
Purdue
11-2, 2-0B1G
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue | 23 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Michigan | 25 | 17 | 25 | 18 | 10 | 2 |
Wolverines Unable to Stave Off No. 17 Purdue
9/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #17 Purdue 3, Michigan 2 (23-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-18, 15-10)
Records: U-M (13-3, 1-1 Big Ten) Purdue (11-2, 2-0 Big Ten)
Attendance: 603
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 28 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 7 p.m. CDT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team took two of the first three sets before dropping the final two in a 23-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-18, 15-10 loss to No. 17 Purdue on Saturday night (Sept. 22) in a Big Ten match at Cliff Keen Arena.
Jennifer Cross
Sophomore Jennifer Cross (Scarborough, Ontario/Birchmount Collegiate Park) and fifth-year senior Claire McElheny (Westfield, Ind./Brebeuf Prep) led the U-M offense with 14 kills apiece, while junior Molly Toon (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) and junior Lexi Erwin (Spring, Texas/Woodlands College Park) had 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Erwin made it a double-double with 14 digs, while freshman Tiffany Morales (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) had a team-high 17 digs. Sophomore Lexi Dannemiller (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) had 47 assists on the night.
Michigan opened the first set up 9-4 and took a 13-5 lead on a Toon kill. Purdue came back to cut the lead to 15-12, but a Dannemiller kill and Purdue attack error gave Michigan a 19-14 lead, forcing the Boilermakers to call timeout. Purdue tied the match at 19 on a block assist and the two teams went back and forth to a 22-22 tie. Three straight Purdue errors gave Michigan match point. Purdue fought off one match point, but a Cross kill gave U-M a 25-23 win.
Purdue hit .355 in the second set, winning 25-17. Michigan had an 8-6 lead on a Boilermaker attack error, but Purdue went on a 7-1 run with the help of Amanda Miller's serve. Purdue took an 18-10 lead and never looked back. Ariel Turner had eight kills in that set.
The Boilermakers jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the third set but rallied back to tie it at 11-all on a Purdue attack error. Purdue scored the next three points, but Michigan again tied the set, this time at 16-all on a McElheny kill. Michigan on a three-point run at 17-all as kills from Erwin and Cross and a Purdue attack error gave U-M a three-point advantage. Purdue came back to tie the set at 20-20, but two Purdue attack errors and a Cross kill put the Wolverines two points away from going up 2-1. Cross and Toon gave U-M those points for the 25-23 win.
Purdue hit .321 in the fourth set for the 25-18 win to force the fifth and deciding set. Michigan went up 7-5 on a McElheny kill, but the Boilermakers went on a 10-3 run, capped by a block. Michigan cut the advantage to 20-15 on a Purdue attack error, but a service ace at set point put Michigan in a fifth set for the fifth time this season.
The two teams traded points in the fifth set until Purdue rattled off two in a row on Turner's serve. Michigan notched three points in a row on an Erwin kill and two Purdue attack errors. At 7-7, Toon had a kill and Purdue had an error, giving Michigan a two-point lead as the Boilermakers called time. However, Purdue ended the set on an 8-1 run as Turner's kill at match point, her 23rd of the match, made it 15-10 for the Boilermakers.
Michigan hits the road for the first time in Big Ten play at Iowa next Friday (Sept. 28). First serve for that match is at 7 p.m. CDT.
NOTES
• Michigan is now 3-2 in five-set matches this season.
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Michigan 44-24.
• Lexi Erwin recorded her eighth double-double of the season and second of the weekend. Erwin had 12 kills and 14 digs on the night.
• Claire McElheny had a season-high 14 kills. Her career high is 19 against Pepperdine on Sept. 10, 2011.
• Tiffany Morales led the team in digs for the 14th time this season as she had 17 digs on the night.
