Michigan
13-1, 2-1B1G
Rutgers
6-10, 0-3B1G
Michigan Stays Perfect at Home with Sweep of Rutgers
9/28/2018 10:09:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan is 9-0 at home this season and has yet to lose a set during that span.
» Sydney Wetterstrom picked up her first career double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs.
» The third set was tied at 24 before a kill and a block from Carly Skjodt pushed Michigan to victory.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #17 Michigan 3, Rutgers 0 (25-11, 25-16, 26-24)
Records: U-M (13-1, 2-1 B1G), RU (6-10, 0-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Sept. 30 -- vs. #9 Penn State (Crisler Center), 1 p.m. -- MAIZE OUT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team kept its home record perfect on Friday night (Sept. 28) as the Wolverines swept the visiting Rutgers Scarlet Knights in straight sets (25-11, 25-16, 26-24) inside Cliff Keen Arena.
The sweep brings Michigan's home record to 9-0 this season, and the Wolverines have yet to lose a set during that span.
Using a .295 hitting percentage and totaling seven blocks, Michigan dominated the first two sets of the night but allowed Rutgers to keep the third set close before ultimately closing out the evening with a dramatic 26-24 third-set win.
Senior Carly Skjodt led all players with 15 kills at a team-best .316 attacking percentage, while junior Sydney Wetterstrom earned her first career double-double behind 11 kills and 10 digs.
From the back row, freshman Paige Jones led the Wolverines with 12 digs, while Skjodt posted a team-best four blocks in the front row.
Michigan used a three-point run to start the first set and never lost the lead from there. Using serving runs from senior Jenna Lerg, senior Maddy Abbott and Jones, the Wolverines extended their lead to six and then 10 as the Scarlet Knights were forced to use both timeouts. Michigan held Rutgers to just an .033 attack percentage as the Maize and Blue took the first set, 25-11.
The second set began much slower, as the teams traded points and Rutgers took its first lead of the evening at 8-6. Michigan then rallied off three straight points on two kills from redshirt junior Cori Crocker and one from Wetterstrom for a 9-8 lead before the Scarlet Knights evened the score at 9. From there, however, a Rutgers attack error gave the Maize and Blue back a one-point edge and the Wolverines took advantage. U-M extended its lead and used a .306 attack percentage to surge ahead and clinch set two, 25-16.
Despite a strong offensive showing in the first two sets, Michigan was slow to begin the third set and fell behind, 6-3, before calling a timeout. The Wolverines worked to come from behind on a three-point serving run from junior Katerina Rocafort and back-to-back kills from Skjodt and Crocker, but set three featured 14 tie scores along with eight lead changes. With the score tied late at 24, Skjodt took charge with a timely kill and a big block to propel Michigan to a 26-24 third-set victory.
Tweet of the Match
Michigan wins! pic.twitter.com/iWGKFPXIPf
— Michigan Volleyball (@umichvball) September 29, 2018
The Wolverines (13-1, 2-1 B1G) will wrap up the weekend with a Maize Out match against Penn State on Sunday (Sept. 30). First serve is set for 1 p.m. at Crisler Center, and the contest will be streamed live on ESPNU.
