Michigan
15-11,6-10Big Ten
Illinois
13-13,8-8Big Ten
Michigan Falls to Illinois Despite Third-Set Comeback
11/12/2022 11:23:00 PM | Volleyball
» Jess Mruzik collected a season-high 22 kills, leading all players on the night while collecting 11 digs to earn her sixth double-double of the season and hitting .349.
» Maddie Dowd picked up her second double-double of the season with a team-leading 21 assists and 12 digs.
» Hannah Grant led Michigan in the backcourt with 14 digs, collecting her ninth consecutive double-digit dig match.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team rallied for a third-set comeback win, but it was not enough as it ultimately fell to Illinois in a four-set match (27-29, 21-25, 25-22, 19-25) on Saturday night (Nov. 12) at Cliff Keen Arena.
Jess Mruzik collected a new season-high 22 kills, leading all players on the night, while collecting 11 digs to earn her sixth double-double of the season. Hannah Grant led Michigan (15-11, 6-10 Big Ten) in the backcourt with 14 digs, while Maddie Dowd picked up her second double-double of the season with a team-leading 21 assists and 12 digs.
The first set was neck and neck until start to finish, with the score tied 22 times and included 12 lead changes. Michigan dropped the first point of the set, but a block by Jess Robinson and May Pertofsky followed by a kill from Pertofsky pushed the Wolverines ahead 2-1. U-M and Illinois continued to exchange blows until the Wolverines went on a 3-0 and pulled ahead 23-22 behind a Kendall Murray and Jacque Boney kill. The Fighting Illini and Michigan each went on a pair of 2-0 spurts until Illinois capitalized on two Wolverine errors to take the first set 29-27.
The second set as close as the first, featuring 11 ties. Illinois (13-13, 8-8 Big Ten) jumped out to an early 10-6 lead before Robinson slammed one down the middle of the court and came up with a solo stuff block before a Fighting Illini error pulled the Wolverines within one point. U-M went on a 3-0 run behind two Murray kills and a block from Serena Nyambio and Boney to give Michigan a 14-13 lead, its first since it was 4-3 earlier in the stanza. The teams traded points until Illinois knotted the match at 19, then went on a 6-2 run to finish off the set 25-21.
The third set was all Mruzik, collecting nine of Michigan's 15 kills and hitting .533. Illinois pulled ahead 6-2 before the Wolverines started to chip away and got within one point at 8-7 behind a Grant kill. After an error on the ensuing serve, U-M responded with a 6-0 run to go ahead 13-9 behind three kills and one block from Mruzik. Illinois rallied, coming up with a 5-0 run capitalizing off three consecutive U-M errors and pulling to an 18-17 lead. Scottee Johnson lit it up at the service line collecting two aces on four serves, while Allison Jacobs and Mruzik cleaned up at the net, each recording one kill to push the Wolverines in front 21-18 lead. Illinois strung together a few points, but back-to-back Mruzik kills and an Illinois service error gave Michigan the set 25-22.
The fourth set saw Michigan take a quick 2-0 lead after two Illini errors, but Illinois pulled even after two kills. The visitors slowly extended their lead to 17-13. Boney and Mruzik each recorded a kill, while a Mruzik kill pulled the Maize and Blue within one, 17-16. However, Illinois outscored Michigan 8-3 the rest of the way to close out the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
Michigan will hit the road for its next match, heading to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on No. 14 Purdue at 7 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 18). The contest will be streamed live on B1G+.
