Michigan
Iowa
Well-Balanced Attack Leads Wolverines to Sweep of Hawkeyes
10/2/2021 10:08:00 PM | Volleyball
» Jess Mruzik led all players with 12 kills.
» The junior duo of May Pertofsky and Jess Robinson each had eight kills.
» Michigan out-hit Iowa .286 to 143
Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena)
Score: Michigan 3, Iowa 0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-20)
Records: U-M (9-4, 2-2 B1G), Iowa (2-11, 0-4 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 8 -- vs. #7 Minnesota (Crisler Center), 9 p.m.
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Michigan volleyball team used a well-balanced attack to roll to a dominating victory over Iowa in straight sets (25-16, 25-18, 25-20) Saturday night (Oct. 2) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The win runs the Wolverines' record to 9-4 overall and draws them even 2-2 in Big Ten play. Iowa falls to 2-11 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten.
Sophomore Jess Mruzik led all players with 12 kills on the might, while the junior duo of May Pertofsky and Jess Robinson each chipped in eight kills. Pertofsky hit an eye-popping .571 and added two service aces, while Robinson hit an outstanding .533 and had three total blocks.
Play started with the Wolverines systematically picking the Hawkeyes apart, holding the hosts to just .033 hitting from the floor in the opening set. Michigan never strung together more than three consecutive points in the set, but had three such instances and finished the match with its largest lead at 25-16.
Set two saw both sides improve their hitting from the floor, with Michigan hitting an efficient .389. The Wolverines jumped out to an early lead thanks to a 4-0 run with redshirt sophomore Hannah Grant at the service line and never looked back, finishing with a 25-18 victory.
The final set was closer than the first two, but U-M proved superior in the end, winning 25-20. Iowa took a late lead at 17-16, but Michigan responded by scoring nine of the final 12 points. The Wolverines had three of their six blocks in the third, holding the Hawkeyes to .158 from the floor.
Sophomore Scottee Johnson dished out 34 assists in the match and added seven digs, while fellow sophomore Kendall Murray finished with a team-high nine digs. Senior Paige Jones was held to just four kills, but added two service aces, two block assists and six digs.
Michigan out-hit Iowa .286 to .143 for the match, as the Hawkeyes had 12 unforced attack errors. Both teams finished with six blocks, but the Wolverines doubled up the Hawkeyes' ace total, six to three.
Michigan returns to the friendly confines of Crisler Center on Friday (Oct. 8) for a 9 p.m. showdown against No. 7 Minnesota. The match is the Wolverines' second annual Vollapalooza match and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
