Michigan
9-1
Auburn
5-6
No. 23 Michigan Tops Auburn in Home Tournament Opener
9/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 16, 2016
» The Wolverines held the Tigers to just a .104 attack percentage in the victory.
» The sweep is Michigan's seventh so far this season.
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Site: Cliff Keen Arena (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Event: Michigan/EMU Challenge
Score: #23 Michigan 3, Auburn 0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-16)
Records: U-M (9-1), AU (5-6)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 17 -- vs. Eastern Michigan (Cliff Keen Arena), 11 a.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team picked up its ninth win and seventh sweep of the season with a 3-0 victory over Auburn (25-18, 27-25, 25-16) to kick off the Michigan/EMU Challenge Tournament on Friday night (Sept. 16) inside Cliff Keen Arena.
Senior Abby Cole led the offense in the victory with 13 kills -- the team's only double-digit kill performance on the night. Behind a .481 attack percentage, Cole's effort marks the fourth time this season she has led the Wolverines in kills and her sixth double-digit kill performance on the year.
Following Cole's lead at the net were junior Adeja Lambert and sophomore Carly Skjodt, who both tallied eight kills apiece, along with junior Claire Kieffer-Wright, who recorded seven. Freshman Cori Crocker also added six to the mix on a .364 kill percentage, while freshman setter MacKenzi Welsh picked up a career-high four on six swings.
Defensively, sophomore libero Jenna Lerg led the back row with 12 digs, marking the ninth time this season she has led the team with double-digit digs. Freshman defensive specialist Tiffany Clark also tallied 10 on the evening for her third career double-digit dig outing.
From the net, Kieffer-Wright led Michigan in blocks for the eighth time this season, tallying two solo blocks and three block assists. Crocker also added four on the night, while Lambert picked up three.
Michigan jumped out to a lead in the first set on an Auburn error and a kill from Cole, setting the tone of the match early on. Kills from Kieffer-Wright, Lambert, Welsh and Crocker extended the lead to six as Auburn called a timeout at 13-7 to slow the pace of play. Four terminations from Cole and Crocker in the first set proved too much, however, as the Wolverines cruised to a 25-18 set victory.
The second set was hard fought on both sides, as the Tigers erased a five-point deficit on a 6-1 rally to tie the set at 11-11. From there, Michigan and Auburn played point for point, tying the 12 times and forcing eight lead changes. With the score tied at 21-21, Michigan rallied for two straight points on kills from Skjodt and senior Kelly Murphy, but an Auburn timeout forced a change in momentum and allowed the Tigers to tie the set at 24-24 and again at 25-all. Consecutive Auburn attack errors, however, pushed Michigan ahead 27-25 and gave the Wolverines a two-set lead heading into the break.
Up 2-0, the Maize and Blue came out swinging in the third and final set to go ahead 10-5. Armed with the lead, Michigan's presence at the net overwhelmed the Auburn offense, which hit for just a .051 average in the third set of the day. Five team blocks by the Wolverines including two solo blocks from Kieffer-Wright were the difference-maker as Michigan took set three by a 25-16 score to clinch its ninth win of the season.
@UMichZone is overflowing so much I needed 4 pics to capture them all. I love it!! Let's go @umichvball !!!! pic.twitter.com/EL3O3HdpAe
-- Steph Parrish (@snparris) September 16, 2016
The No. 22-ranked Wolverines will return to play on Saturday (Sept. 17) when they wrap up the Michigan/EMU Challenge tournament. Michigan will host Eastern Michigan (11 a.m.) in the first match of the day before returning at night to take on Colgate (7 p.m.) in the tournament finale. Both matches are to be played at the Wolverines' home court inside Cliff Keen Arena.
Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt
