Michigan
6-2
Colorado State
7-1
No. 16 Michigan Upended by No. 25 Colorado State
9/8/2017 10:16:00 PM | Volleyball
» Claire Kieffer-Wright ended the night with a team-leading 12 kills at a .21 attack average.
» The loss is Michigan's second of the season, and both have come against teams currently ranked in the AVCA Top-25.
» Michigan is now 1-1 on the tournament and will face Ball State on Sunday (Sept. 10) in the final match of the weekend.
Site: Fort Collins, Colo. (Moby Arena)
Event: CSU Tournament (Match 2)
Score: #25 Colorado State 3, #16 Michigan 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-18)
Records: U-M (6-2), CSU (7-1)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Sept. 10 -- vs. Ball State (Fort Collins, Colo.), 10 a.m. MDT
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Despite a 12-kill effort by senior middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright, the No. 16-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team fell to the No. 25-ranked Colorado State Rams in straight sets (25-21, 25-22, 25-18) on Friday evening (Sept. 8) inside Moby Arena.
The loss is Michigan's second of the season. Both losses have come against opponents currently ranked in the AVCA top 25.
Colorado State launched an offensive surge right out of the gate, going on a 5-0 run to begin the match. The Wolverines fought to come back within one point at 14-13, but the Rams held Michigan to a .219 team attack average in the set and took set one, 25-21.
Sophomore Cori Crocker put Michigan on the board early in the second set with a tip kill that resulted in a 4-1 run, but the Rams rallied to force a lead at 7-4 along with a Wolverine timeout. Michigan rallied, however, to force a one-point game at 15-14 and tied the score at 15-15 on a slide kill by Kieffer-Wright. The teams played nearly point for point from there, until CSU forced a defining lead at 23-20 and ultimately took the set by a 25-22 score.
Colorado State continued to dominate in the third set, despite four kills by Kieffer-Wright and three by sophomore Sydney Wetterstrom. Holding the Wolverines to just a .184 attack average in the third and final set of the night, the Rams surged to a 25-18 third-set win and upset the Maize and Blue in straight sets.
Overall, Kieffer-Wright led the Wolverines with 12 kills, while Crocker added nine and junior Carly Skjodt picked up eight. Kieffer-Wright also finished the match with a team-leading .421 attack percentage.
Junior libero Jenna Lerg paced Michigan with 13 digs, and sophomore setter MacKenzi Welsh led the Maize and Blue with three block assists.
Following a day of no competition due to a scheduling conflict, the No. 16-ranked Wolverines will return to action Sunday (Sept. 10) to face off against Ball State in their final match of the CSU Tournament. First serve is set for 10 a.m. MDT at Moby Arena on the campus of Colorado State.
