Michigan
2-0
Oakland
0-2
U-M Sweeps Oakland in Michigan Invitational
8/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
» The Wolverines won each set by identical 25-18 scores for the sweep.
» U-M notched a .330 hitting percentage as six different Wolverines registered at least five kills.
» Freshman Carly Skjodt notched a career-best 11 kills, and Katherine Mahlke added 11 kills.
» 13 Wolverines appeared in the match, while senior captain Olivia Reed made her season debut.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Event: Michigan Invitational (Day 2)
Score: Michigan 3, Oakland 0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-18)
Records: U-M (2-0), OU (0-2)
Attendance: 905
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Aug. 29 -- vs. West Virginia (Cliff Keen Arena), 7:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A balanced attack helped the University of Michigan volleyball team sweep Oakland University, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-18), in its second match of the Michigan Invitational on Saturday (Aug. 29) at Cliff Keen Arena.
Freshman Carly Skjodt notched a career-best 11 kills, and sophomore Katherine Mahlke (11 kills) recorded her second straight double-digit effort on the attack to lead U-M. Michigan was bolstered by a .330 hitting percentage on the afternoon. Sophomore Caroline Knop added seven kills to go along with 10 digs, and defensive specialist Tiffany Morales added 14 digs for the Wolverines.
"We don't really have a lineup established yet," head coach Mark Rosen said. "It's still really early in the year, and we have a ton of depth. We want to grow that depth. It isn't just about trying to get people playing time, it's about looking at all the different combinations to see who responds and steps up."
Michigan took the opening set 25-18 with a strong attack, notching a.379 hitting percentage led by Mahlke's five kills in the frame. The Wolverines were excellent at the net, with four team blocks. U-M got off to a quick start, running off five straight points to take an 11-5 lead and force an Oakland timeout after a kill by sophomore Claire Kieffer-Wright. With U-M leading 16-7, the Golden Grizzlies battled back, notching six straight points to cut the Michigan lead to three and force a timeout by the home team. The Wolverines responded after the timeout, as Knop ended the run with a kill down the line, and Oakland never got closer than three the remainder of the set.
The Wolverines took a 2-0 set lead with a 25-18 win in the second frame. Trailing 6-4 early in the second set, Michigan ran off 10 of the next 11 points to take control with a 14-7 lead. Skjodt led another stellar effort by the Michigan attack, notching five kills in the set, as the Wolverines recorded a .270 hitting percentage with 15 total kills. Adeja Lambert closed out the set with a well-placed kill in the middle of the court.
Michigan trailed 7-4 and 12-10 in the third set but again rallied midway through the frame. Kills by senior/junior Kelly Murphy and Mahlke tied the set at 12-12, and a block with Mahlke and junior Abby Cole at the net gave the Wolverines the lead for good. Leading 21-18, Michigan closed out the match with four straight points, capped off by an ace from Morales. U-M notched a match-best 18 kills in the set, with only four errors for a .350 hitting percentage.
The 2015 Michigan Invitational concludes tonight (Saturday, Aug. 29) as Michigan will take on West Virginia (7:30 p.m.) at Cliff Keen Arena.
