Michigan
8-1,0-0Big Ten
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Mississippi State
7-3,0-0SEC
Blocking Effort Leads Michigan Past Mississippi State
9/16/2022 11:11:00 PM | Volleyball
» The Wolverines recorded a season high 16 blocks with a career-high nine from Jacque Boney.
» Jess Mruzik led the offensive effort with 13 kills - her ninth effort of the season with kills in double figures.
» U-M moved to 8-1 on the season and 4-0 at home.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Led by a career-high nine total blocks from Jacque Boney, the University of Michigan volleyball team totaled a season-high 16 blocks as the Wolverines defeated Mississippi State in four sets on Friday (Sept. 16) at the Crisler Center.
Offensively, Jess Mruzik led all players with 13 kills, which marks her ninth effort of the season with kills in double figures. Jess Robinson hit at a .500 clip with just one attacking error on the night. Michigan was led defensively by Hannah Grant, who recorded 10 digs, while Boney posted a career-high nine blocks and May Pertofsky chipped in seven blocks. Maddie Dowd led the team in assists with 21 and Scottee Johnson added 18.
The first set began as a back-and-forth affair until Grant recorded back-to-back aces and gave Michigan a four-point lead, 8-4, and the Wolverines extended the lead from there in a total team offensive effort. Mruzik, Robinson and Boney each had three kills -- combining for nine of Michigan's 13 kills -- and the Wolverines recorded five service aces in the 25-16 first set victory.
It was all Michigan in the second set, as U-M cruised to a 25-8 set win behind stellar serving and capitalizing off of numerous Bulldog errors. After a Mississippi State service error put the Wolverines up 12-5, Michigan used a 9-0 scoring run followed by a four-point rally to force a 2-0 match lead.
The third set was a battle with five lead changes and eight tie scores. The Bulldogs capitalized off of a couple of Wolverine errors but U-M pulled even with Mississippi State courtesy of back-to-back blocks from Robinson late in the set. Despite ten blocks from the Wolverines, Mississippi State took the third set by just three points, 25-22.
Michigan regained its footing in the final set behind five Mruzik kills and three blocks apiece from Pertofsky and Boney. The Wolverines hit at a .478 clip in the final set as they pushed past the Bulldogs, 25-16, and clinched the 3-1 match victory. Michigan is now 8-1 on the season with a 4-0 record at home.
Michigan (8-1) hit .310 in the match while holding Mississippi State (7-3) to just a .047 percentage. The Wolverines also tallied a season-high 16 blocks to go with eight service aces.
U-M will be back in action on Sunday (Sept. 18) against Bowling Green in the final contest of the Michigan Challenge. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. in Crisler.
