Michigan
5-1
UW Green Bay
4-2
Wolverines Clip Phoenix to Take Michigan Invitational Title
9/2/2017 10:35:00 PM | Volleyball
» Five Wolverines totaled kills in double figures, with Carly Skjodt leading all players with 15.
» Michigan finished the match with a season-high .415 team hitting percentage.
» The Wolverines finished the Michigan Invitational with a perfect 3-0 record and dropped just one set throughout the weekend.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Event: Michigan Invitational (Match 3)
Score: #19 Michigan 3, Green Bay 1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-13, 25-16)
Records: U-M (5-1), Green Bay (4-2)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 8 -- vs. Idaho State (Fort Collins, Colo.) 10 a.m. MDT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team used a season-high .415 team attack average to defeat Green Bay in four sets (25-20, 23-25, 25-13, 25-16) and sweep the Michigan Invitational from the Wolverines' home court inside Cliff Keen Arena.
Michigan (5-1) took the first two points of the match on a kill by senior Claire Kieffer-Wright and a Green Bay attack error, but the Phoenix came from behind to tie the score at 6-6. A 5-0 run then put Green Bay ahead by a 9-6 score, and Michigan was forced to play catch-up. U-M tied the score at 16-16 and 17-17 before back-to-back Green Bay errors gave Michigan the momentum needed to take the first set, 25-20.
Kieffer-Wright again put Michigan on the board first in the second set, but it was Green Bay that dominated the rest of the set. Despite out-hitting the Phoenix with an impressive .343 attack average, the Wolverines trailed by as many as six and surged late before ultimately falling by a 25-23 score.
Following the intermission, the Wolverines came out swinging in the third set to force a 3-0 lead and a quick Green Bay timeout. After the stoppage in play, however, a double-block by sophomore Cori Crocker and Katherine Mahlke extended Michigan's momentum as the Wolverines went on a 6-2 run to force another Phoenix timeout. From there, Michigan used a .517 attack average and a final dump kill by sophomore setter MacKenzi Welsh to take set three, 25-13.
A big kill by Crocker began the fourth set, and it was Michigan that forced an early lead once again. Although the Phoenix continued to battle and kept the set close, the Wolverines finished the fourth set with a .480 attacking average and never lost the lead. Led by five kills from junior Carly Skjodt and four by Mahlke, the Wolverines took set four by a 25-16 score.
Michigan finished the weekend with three victories and lost just one set over two days.
The Wolverines boasted a season-high .415 attack average that included a season-high 66 kills and five players with kills in double figures. Leading that charge were Skjodt, who totaled 15 kills, and Mahlke, who registered 14. Crocker finished the match with a career-high 12 kills, while Lambert and Kieffer-Wright recorded 10 kills apiece.
Guiding the offense to such an efficient attack percentage was Welsh, who totaled a season-high 52 assists. She also added five kills, five digs, and three block assists.
Defensively, junior Jenna Lerg dominated from the back row with 14 digs to lead all players. Crocker was a force at the net as well with six total blocks. Crocker and Skjodt both finished the night with two solo blocks apiece.
Lerg was named the Michigan Invitational MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Kieffer-Wright and Crocker.
The No. 19-ranked Wolverines will return to play on Friday (Sept. 8) when the CSU Invitational kicks off at Colorado State. Michigan will first face Idaho State (10 a.m. MDT) before facing off against host Colorado State later in the evening (6 p.m. MDT). The tournament will conclude on Sunday (Sept. 10) with a final match against Ball State (10 a.m. MDT).
