Michigan
12-5,5-2Big Ten
Penn State
12-4,5-2Big Ten
Michigan Falls to No. 8 Penn State
10/18/2019 10:03:00 PM | Volleyball
» Sydney Wetterstrom registered a double-double with 16 kills and 13 digs.
» Paige Jones matched a team-high 16 kills for Michigan.
» Michigan got a team-high 17 digs from Natalie Smith.
» Setter MacKenzi Welsh had 48 assists and four kills.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #8Â Penn State 3, Michigan 1 (25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-22)
Records: U-M (12-5, 5-2 B1G), PSU (12-4, 6-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Oct. 19 -- vs. Rutgers (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Sydney Wetterstrom and sophomore Paige Jones led the University of Michigan volleyball team with 16 kills apiece, but the Wolverines fell to No. 8 Penn State in four sets (23-25, 20-25, 25-16, 22-25) Â on Friday night (Oct. 18) at Crisler Center.
The loss dropped Michigan's record to 12-5 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten.
In addition to Wetterstrom's 16 kills, the pin hitter put together a double-double with her 13 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Jones added eight digs and two service aces to her 16 kills, and freshman May Pertofsky added 10 kills of her own. On the defensive end, junior Natalie Smith chipped in with 17 digs. Senior setter MacKenzi Welsh had 48 assists and 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the year and added four kills.
The Wolverines dropped a back-and-forth first set, losing, 25-23, in a set that had six lead changes and was tied 12 times. Neither team led by more than three points in the stanza.
Michigan lost set two, 25-20, to put it in a 2-0 deficit in the match. Penn State grabbed the advantage for good at 20-19 in a set that was knotted up eight times before the Nittany Lions took over.
Michigan rallied to win the third set and make it a 2-1 match. The Wolverines won the set, 25-16, powered by a solid performance on the attacking side. Michigan registered a .533 attack percentage with 17 kills in the set.
Michigan could not build off the set-three momentum and lost in the fourth set, 25-22, to drop the match. The Wolverines fell in the set despite a solid performance on the attacking side, hitting .306 with 15 kills in the loss. U-M extended the set multiple times and forced four match points before finally succumbing in the stanza.
Michigan will be back in action Saturday (Oct. 19), when it will take on Rutgers at 7 p.m. inside Cliff Keen Arena.
