Michigan
4-0
Kansas State
2-2
Murphy's Career Night Propels U-M Past Host K-State
9/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
» Leading Michigan in kills for just the third time in her career, fifth-year senior Kelly Murphy tallied a career-high 21 kills in the victory.
» Freshman setter MacKenzi Welsh recorded 10 digs and a team-leading 37 assists in the effort, marking her second career assist-dig double-double.
» Despite clinching the match, a 26-24 second-set loss ended the Wolverines' perfect set record coming into the tournament.
Site: Manhattan, Kan. (Bramlage Coliseum)
Event: K-State Invitational
Score: Michigan 3, Kansas State 1 (25-21, 24-26, 25-19, 25-22)
Records: U-M (4-0), MU (2-2)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 3 -- vs. Georgia Tech (Manhattan, Kan.), 10 a.m. CDT
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Led by a career-high 21 kills from redshirt senior Kelly Murphy, the University of Michigan volleyball team clinched a 3-1 victory (25-21, 24-25, 25-19, 25-22) over the host Kansas State Wildcats on Friday night (Sept. 2) in the first match of the K-State Invitational at Bramlage Coliseum. The win signals Michigan's fourth straight to begin the season.
Kansas State picked up the first point of the match on a kill, forcing Michigan to play catch-up early on. The Wolverines followed point for point until taking the lead at 4-3 on a K-State attack error and forcing the Wildcats to then come from behind. A 5-1 run by the Wolverines quickly gave Michigan a lead at 9-5, coercing Kansas State to take its first timeout. The stoppage in pace allowed the Wildcats to gain momentum, tying the score twice before regaining the lead. A K-State service error then put Michigan back on top, 16-15, and a kill from Murphy coupled with a block combination from juniors Claire Kieffer-Wright and Katherine Mahlke forced a three-point lead and another K-State timeout. Despite a late push from the Wildcats, Michigan's lead was final as the Wolverines pressed ahead to take the set, 25-21.
In the second set of the day, Kansas State again took the first point, but a kill from senior Abby Cole tied the game and allowed the Wolverines to cruise ahead, 3-1. Each point was hard fought from there, but the Wildcats surged ahead to force a five-point lead at 17-12 and a Michigan timeout. Following the timeout, the Wolverines rallied for four straight points on kills from Cole and sophomore Carly Skjodt as well as a stuff block from Kieffer-Wright and Cole to force a K-State timeout. Still trailing, the Wolverines closed the gap on kills from Cole, Kieffer-Wright, Murphy and freshman setter MacKenzi Welsh, fighting off three set points before dropping a set for the first time this season, 26-24.
The third set began with another point for Kansas State, as the Wildcats rattled off three straight, before a K-State attack error put Michigan on the board. Trailing 5-1 without a kill or a block, the Wolverines called a timeout to regroup and returned to the court with three straight points on a kill from senior Ally Davis and two K-State attack errors. Despite trailing early, the Wolverines fought back to tie the score at 10-10, and a kill from Murphy gave Michigan the first lead of the set. Another K-State attack error then gave Michigan a two-point lead, forcing a Wildcat timeout. From there, however, the Maize and Blue lead was never lost, and the Wolverines continued on to a 25-19 third set victory.
Leading the match 2-1, freshman Cori Crocker gave Michigan an early lead in the fourth set with an unassisted kill, but the set was a back-and-forth affair from there. After multiple ties, a long point landed in Michigan's favor as Welsh connected with Murphy, and the following kill from Cole pushed Michigan up, 14-12. After a K-State timeout, Murphy followed with back-to-back kills to tie her career-high 17 kills. Despite a hard-fought offensive showing by the Wolverines, the Wildcats inched closer, forcing a U-M timeout at 21-20, but the Wolverines forced a four-point run to take the set, 25-21.
Michigan finished the match with a .311 attack average, and three Wolverines recorded double-digit kills in the outing. Murphy led the Maize and Blue with 21 kills on the night at a .455 attack average, and Cole followed with 17, while Kieffer-Wright added 10. Each player finished with an attack percentage above .300.
Welsh guided the offense, tallying a career-high 37 kills and adding 10 digs for her second career assist-dig double-double.
From the back row, freshman libero Jenna Lerg anchored the defense with a season-high 18 digs, while Skjodt tallied a season-high 15.
Michigan also performed defensively at the net totaling 11 team blocks. Kieffer-Wright led the charge with seven block assists and a solo block, while Cole tallied four block assists and a solo block of her own.
The Wolverines will wrap up the K-State Invitational tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 3) when they take on Georgia Tech at 10 a.m. CDT before facing Tennessee State in Michigan's final match of the tournament at 5 p.m. CDT. All matches are to be played inside Bramlage Coliseum.
