Michigan
4-1,0-0Big Ten
Duke
6-1,0-0ACC
Wolverines Rally from Two-Set Deficit to Stun Blue Devils at Crisler
9/10/2021 10:56:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan came back after trailing 2-0 to win in five sets.
» Jess Mruzik set a new career-high with 31 kills.
» Scottee Johnson had 50 assists.
» The Wolverines held the Blue Devils to a -.059 hitting average in the final three sets.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Event: ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Score: Michigan 3, Duke 2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-13, 25-12, 15-6)
Records: U-M (4-1), Duke (6-1)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Sept. 12 -- vs. North Carolina (Crisler Center), 1 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore Jess Mruzik's career-high 31 kills led the the University of Michigan volleyball team past previously unbeaten Duke 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-13, 25-12, 15-6) to begin the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Friday night (Sept. 10) at Crisler Center. After trailing 2-0 out of the gate. U-M dominated the final three sets in front of a raucous crowd in its home opener.
After falling behind 2-0, Michigan -- with Mruzik leading the charge -- flipped a switch that led to domination over the final three sets. The Livonia, Mich., native had seven kills on 10 attempts without an error in the third and followed that with nine kills on 14 attempts with only one error in the fourth. In the end, Mruzik finished with 31 kills while hitting an outstanding .509 for the match, and turned in 15 digs for her second double-double of the season.
Michigan, which hit just .145 as a team during the first two sets, came back over the final three to hit .364, .294 and a robust .526. Sophomore Scottee Johnson orchestrated the offense from the setter position, divvying out 50 assists to go along with 12 digs.
The Wolverines made their statement early in the third, scoring five of the first six points to force the Blue Devils to take a timeout. Michigan saw its lead shrink to seven before a service run from junior May Pertofsky helped the Maize and Blue win six straight points and finish the set 25-13.
Set four followed a similar script, as Michigan took an early lead it never relinquished on the way to a 25-12 victory.
The decisive fifth set was another overwhelming performance from the Wolverines, using a 7-0 run that turned a two-point lead at 6-4 into a comfortable nine-point advantage at 13-4 on the way to a 15-6 victory. The comeback was the first of its kind since coming back from down 2-0 against Maryland in 2016.
Michigan found a new gear defensively after the first two sets as well. Duke hit .297 in the first two sets to build its early lead, but the Wolverines held the Blue Devils to a -.059 mark over the final three sets. Freshman Jacque Boney led U-M with six total blocks (1 solo block, five bloc assists), and junior Jess Robinson and Pertofsky added five and four block assists, respectively.
In the end, Michigan outhit Duke .265 to .095, had more blocks (12.5-8) and had more aces (8-3). The Wolverines also had more assists (63-35) and digs (74-64).
Michigan finishes the ACC/Big Ten Challenge by playing the other half of the Tobacco Road rivalry, taking on North Carolina on Sunday (Sept. 12) at 1 p.m. inside Crisler Center. The match will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+.
