Michigan
12-15, 7-10B1G
Penn State
27-3, 15-2B1G
Michigan Trumped by No. 4 Penn State in Three Sets
11/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 19, 2014
• Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #4 Penn State 3, Michigan 0 (25-19, 25-23, 27-25)
Records: U-M (12-15, 7-10 Big Ten), PSU (27-3, 15-2 Big Ten)
Attendance: 1,700
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 22 -- at Nebraska (Lincoln, Neb.), 7 p.m. CST
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore Abby Cole had 17 kills, and the University of Michigan volleyball team took No. 4 Penn State to the limit in sets two and three but fell, 3-0, to the Nittany Lions Wednesday night (Nov. 19) inside Cliff Keen Arena. Set scores were 25-19, 25-23 and 27-25.
Cole had 17 kills and a .400 hitting percentage while adding two blocks. Senior Lexi Dannemiller had 34 assists, while junior Tiffany Morales had a team-high eight digs. Freshmen Adeja Lambert and Claire Kieffer-Wright led Michigan with three blocks apiece.
Penn State hit .387 and recorded 7.5 blocks in winning the first set 25-19. Michigan tied the set at five on a Cole kill, but the Nittany Lions reeled off six straight points, capped by a Megan Courtney kill. Blocks by Nia Grant and Courtney made it 18-12, and Aiyana Whitney's termination put PSU up 20-15. The Nittany Lions closed out the set on blocks from Grant and Ali Frantti. Cole had five kills on nine swings in the first set.
Both teams sided out at a high rate in set two, but a late Penn State run gave the Nittany Lions the 25-23 win. Cole had seven kills in the set, including one to tie it at 13. A Morales ace tied it at 17, and it was knotted at 20 on a Cole termination. At 21-all, Frantti and Grant had back-to-back kills, forcing Michigan to call timeout. A Micha Hancock service error cut the PSU lead to 24-23, but Whitney ended the set with a kill. Penn State hit .696 in the set, while Michigan had a .389 hitting percentage.
Michigan trailed in the third set 19-14 but came back to tie the set at 22 on blocks from Lambert and Kieffer-Wright. A kill by freshman Katherine Mahlke put the Wolverines ahead, 23-22, and Lambert's termination gave the Maize and Blue set point. Penn State rallied for two straight points, but a Hancock service error gave U-M another set point. Penn State ended the match by scoring the final three points, which included a kill and block from Grant.
The Wolverines hit .218 on the night, compared to .371 for Penn State. The Nittany Lions had 13.5 blocks, while Michigan had four blocks in the third set.
Michigan travels to Lincoln, Neb., to face No. 11 Nebraska on Saturday night (Nov. 22) at 7 p.m. CST in the Devaney Center.
Communications Contact: Kent Reichert (734) 763-4423
