Michigan
3-0
West Virginia
1-2
Maize and Blue Blitzes West Virginia to Win Michigan Invite
8/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
» The Wolverines earned their second sweep of the day to improve to 3-0 on their opening weekend for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons.
» Abby Cole was named Tournament MVP. She had nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage to go with five blocks against West Virginia.
» Caroline Knop led the team in both kills (15) and digs (12).
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Event: Michigan Invitational (Day 2)
Score: Michigan 3, West Virginia 0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-17)
Records: U-M (3-0), WVU (1-2)
Attendance: 1,053
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 4 -- vs. Xavier - Ohio Invitational (Athens, Ohio), 10 a.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team won the 2015 Michigan Invitational after a clean sweep of West Virginia (25-20, 25-23, 25-17) on Saturday night (Aug. 29) at Cliff Keen Arena. Junior Abby Cole was named Tournament MVP after nine kills and five blocks in the match and was joined by senior Tiffany Morales and Claire Kieffer-Wright on the all-tournament team.
Sophomore Caroline Knop led the team in both kills (15) and digs (12). Freshman Carly Skjodt, who had 11 kills in the day's earlier win against Oakland, added eight against West Virginia. Senior Carly Warner and freshman Maddy Abbott each recorded double-digit assists (20 and 19, respectively), while Morales and freshman Jenna Lerg had 10 digs each.
The Wolverines got off to a great start in the match and Knop was the catalyst, recording eight kills in the first set, which they won, 25-20. U-M won the first six points of the set behind three kills from Knop. Cole was also active early with three kills and four blocks in the first set.
The second set was more back and forth, but U-M was able to match every West Virginia push to win, 25-23. After the Mountaineers cut the U-M lead to 13-12, an attack error and a subsequent service ace by Warner put U-M back up two (15-12). West Virginia got back to within one at 19-18, but Michigan answered with four consecutive points, including kills from Katherine Mahlke, Knop, Adeja Lambert and an ace from Abbott to go up, 23-18. West Virginia trimmed the lead to one again at 24-23, but an attack error on the next play gave Michigan the point it needed to secure the set and the lead heading into the break.
The Wolverines finished off the sweep after taking the third set, 25-17. The score was tied at 14-14, but U-M took over from there, claiming 11 of the next 14 points to end the evening. It scored five consecutive points to begin the run -- all on West Virginia attack errors -- before ending the set with two kills apiece from Kieffer-Wright and Knop.
The Wolverines hit the road for the first time next weekend, competing at the Ohio Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 4-5) in Athens, Ohio. U-M opens play against Xavier on Friday at 10 a.m.
