Michigan
18-5, 7-5B1G
Minnesota
18-2, 12-0B1G
Wolverines Unable to Sustain Early Success Against No. 3-Ranked Gophers
10/27/2018 9:50:00 PM | Volleyball
» Eleven of Paige Jones' match-high 18 kills came in the opening set.
» Jenna Lerg led all players with 19 digs and added two service aces.
» With losses to No. 7 Wisconsin on Friday (Oct. 26) and No. 3 Minnesota on Saturday (Oct. 27), Michigan dropped back-to-back matches for the first time this season.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #3 Minnesota 3, #12 Michigan 0 (27-25, 25-10, 25-20)
Records: U-M (18-5, 7-5 B1G), Minnesota (18-2, 12-0 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Oct. 31 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Using a makeshift lineup and a running a 6-2 offense for the first time this season, the No. 12-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team had two set points in the opening frame, but eventually lost in straight sets to No. 3 Minnesota on Saturday (Oct. 27) in Crisler Center. Set scores were 27-25, 25-10, 25-20.
Freshman outside hitter Paige Jones posted a match-high 18 kills, 11 of which came in the first set. Senior outside hitter Carly Skjodt finished with eight kills, while senior Maddy Abbott and junior Katerina Rocafort shared the setting duties with 22 and 12 assists, respectively.
Defensively, senior libero Jenna Lerg anchored the back row with a team-high 19 digs, and Jones finished just one dig short of a double-double with nine. The Wolverines did not record a block in the effort.
Michigan took the opening point of the night on a kill from Jones and went ahead, 5-3, but the Golden Gophers rallied to tie the score at 6. Despite short serving runs on both sides, neither team could gain momentum. With the score tied at 16, Michigan rattled off three straight points thanks to a Minnesota error and back-to-back kills from Jones, and took a four-point lead, 20-16, on a replayed point that ended with a kill from redshirt sophomore Ellie Brooks. Minnesota responded, however, using a 4-0 run to tie the score once again at 20. The teams traded points from there before a three-point rally allowed Minnesota to secure the first set, 27-25.
The momentum shifted following the first frame, as the Gopher offense hit for a .462 average in the second set and a .387 percentage in the third. Michigan was held to just 18 kills through the remainder of the match.
A kill from Jones started the second set before the Gophers came from behind with a four-point run to take the lead. Michigan would rally to tie the score at 4, but a 5-0 Minnesota run sparked a rally from the visitors and allowed the Gophers to surge ahead for a 12-6 lead before Michigan's first timeout. The Wolverines scattered just four points through the remainder of the frame, as multiple Gopher serving runs allowed Minnesota to take the second set by a 25-10 score.
Minnesota used a four-point scoring run to jumpstart the third and final set, and the Gophers never lost the lead. Michigan used both of its timeouts early in an effort to upset Minnesota's momentum, but the Gophers went up by as many as eight points at 19-11. Despite the deficit, the Wolverines regained their footing and used serving runs from Skjodt, Lerg, and Rocafort to cut the Gopher lead to four at 21-17. The effort was too little, too late, as Minnesota pulled ahead for a 25-20 third-set victory and a 3-0 match sweep.
The Wolverines (18-5, 7-5 B1G) will be on the road for their next two matches, starting at Indiana on Wednesday (Oct. 31) at 7 p.m.
