Michigan
16-9, 6-8Big Ten
Minnesota
21-3, 13-1Big Ten
Offensive Surge Not Enough as No. 25 Michigan Falls at No. 4 Minnesota
11/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
» Sophomore outside hitter Caroline Knop and sophomore middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright led Michigan with 15 kills apiece.
» Senior Tiffany Morales led all players in the match with 21 digs.
» Knop tallied a double-double (15 kills/12 digs), while Kieffer-Wright earned a career-high mark in kills.
» Michigan won set two before dropping close ones after the intermission by a combined total of five points.
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Sports Pavilion)
Score: #4 Minnesota 3, #25 Michigan 1 (25-23, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22)
Records: U-M (16-9, 6-8 B1G), MINN (21-3, 13-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Nov. 11 -- vs. Wisconsin (Cliff Keen Arena), 7:30 p.m.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Despite a career-high 15 kills from sophomore middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright and a double-double from sophomore outside hitter Caroline Knop, the No. 25-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team fell to the No. 4-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers by a 3-1 score (25-23, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22) Saturday evening (Nov. 7) from Minnesota's Sports Pavilion.
The Michigan Wolverines hit the court hungry for victory, taking the first point of the match. Despite the early lead, the score went back and forth for the next three points on each side, before Michigan pulled away on a four-point run to go ahead, 7-3. The momentum of the Wolverine offense forced a Minnesota timeout, but the stoppage was not enough. Michigan maintained a solid lead until the Golden Gophers tied the score at 16-16, forcing a Wolverine timeout which resulted in timely kill from Kieffer-Wright. Despite the offensive effort, the remainder of the set was a back-and-forth affair until the Gophers rallied for three straight points to take the set, 25-23.
Michigan's defense held Minnesota to just a .196 attack average in the first set, recording 22 digs and two blocks. Senior libero Tiffany Morales led all players with eight digs in set one, while Knop led Michigan with five kills.
After a short break, Michigan hit the court in the second with the first point on a kill from junior outside hitter Abby Cole. From there, the score went back and forth, but the Wolverines eventually pulled away with an 11-7 lead on a kill from sophomore outside hitter Adeja Lambert and a service ace from freshman defensive specialist Jenna Lerg, forcing a Minnesota timeout. With a four-point lead in hand, the Wolverines returned from the timeout with another service ace from Lerg, igniting the Michigan offense. Supported by five service aces and timely kills from Kieffer-Wright, Lambert and Cole, the Wolverines rallied to take the set by a 25-19 score.
No. 4 Minnesota garnered the early lead in the third set of the night, but Michigan quickly regained its composure to go ahead. In spite of a five-point Michigan lead, the Golden Gophers fought their way back into the game, tying the score at 14-14 and played point for point from there. Neither team led by more than two points the rest of the way, and senior middle blocker Krystalyn Goode, freshman outside hitter Carly Skjodt and Kieffer-Wright led the way for Michigan's offense as both teams ended up tied at 24-24. A Minnesota kill then put the Gophers up 25-24, but Michigan answered back with a kill from Lambert. Due to the implementation of Big Ten challenges, however, the call was overturned on a Minnesota Challenge, and the Gophers took the set, 26-24.
Supported by the offensive momentum at the end of the third set, Minnesota took a quick 6-2 lead in set four, forcing head coach Mark Rosen to take a timeout early on. Trailing by as many as nine, the Maize and Blue fought hard in the fourth set, chipping away at the Minnesota defense to eventually come within two. Kills from Knop, Lambert and Cole as well as blocks from Goode were essential to Michigan's fight, and the Wolverines fought off three match points before falling by a 25-22 score in set four.
Overall, Kieffer-Wright tallied a career-high 15 kills in the effort, while Knop added 15 of her own. The sophomore outside hitters were the only Wolverines to finish the match with double-digit kills.
Defensively, Morales, who ranks third all-time in Michigan digs, recorded 21 digs on the night for a conference-match high, while Knop added 12 for a double-double.
After four Big Ten road matches, the Maize and Blue will return home to Cliff Keen Arena for a match against Wisconsin, currently ranked No. 13, on Wednesday (Nov. 11). The contest is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start and will be part of the Big Ten Network Volleyball Extravaganza highlighting all 14 Big Ten Conference matches that evening.
