Michigan
Iowa
Michigan Upended by Iowa in B1G Road Play
10/4/2017 10:48:00 PM | Volleyball
» Carly Skjodt totaled a season-high 22 kills in the effort.
» MacKenzi Welsh posted her fifth double-double with 45 assists and a season-high 13 digs.
» The loss is Michigan's first this year to a team not receiving votes in the AVCA poll.
Site:Â Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena)
Score: Iowa 3, #22 Michigan 1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21)
Records: U-M (12-5, 2-3 B1G), Iowa (13-5, 2-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Oct. 7 -- vs. Minnesota (Cliff Keen Arena), 1 p.m.
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Despite taking the first set of the night, the No. 22-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team dropped the next three sets to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday night (Oct. 4) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena and fell by a 3-1 score (21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21) for its first loss to a team not receiving votes in the AVCA poll.
Junior Carly Skjodt led the Wolverines with a season-high 22 kills in the match, while sophomore setter MacKenzi Welsh notched her fifth double-double with 45 assists and a season-high 13 digs.
Michigan took a 2-1 lead in the first set on a kill by sophomore Cori Crocker, and the Wolverines never lost the lead from there. Though Michigan extended its lead to six points at 15-9, Iowa surged late and cut the deficit to 22-20, which forced the Wolverines to call timeout. Despite the surge, six kills by Crocker along with the Wolverines' .326 team attack average allowed Michigan to clinch set one, 25-21.
Despite a 3-0 run to begin set two, the Hawkeyes rallied to take their first lead at 6-5 before a kill by senior Claire Kieffer-Wright evened things up. From there, seven more tie scores and four lead changes resulted in an Iowa lead late in the set. With the Hawkeyes hitting at a .469 clip, Iowa took set two, 25-22.
Iowa's momentum continued into the third set, as the Hawkeyes jumped out to a 7-2 lead and forced an early Michigan timeout. Michigan was held to a .079 hitting percentage in the set, and though Skjodt totaled seven kills, it was Iowa that forced a 25-15 third-set win.
The Hawkeye rally continued into the fourth and final set, as Iowa took a 5-4 lead and never looked back. Though the Wolverines fought to cut the deficit to two late in the set, Iowa held the Wolverines to just 12 kills as the Hawkeyes took set four by a 25-21 score.
Three Wolverines finished with digs in double figures as Michigan totaled a 50 team digs. Welsh led the way with 13, while junior libero Jenna Lerg tallied 12 and freshman Natalie Smith recorded 10 to come within one of her career high.
No. 22-ranked Michigan will get back in action Saturday (Oct. 7) when it takes on No. 6-ranked Minnesota. First serve is set for 1 p.m. at the Wolverines' home court inside Cliff Keen Arena.
