Michigan
3-17,1-10Big Ten
Penn State
15-5,9-2Big Ten
Wolverines Upended by No. 13 Nittany Lions in Four Sets
10/27/2023 10:48:00 PM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Â The University of Michigan volleyball team fell to No. 13-ranked Penn State in four sets (23-25, 16-25, 25-20, 20-25) at Crisler Center on Friday night (Oct. 27).
Jacque Boney and Kendall Murray combined for 26 of the Wolverines' 51 kills in the contest -- with Boney posting a .632 hit percentage -- while Serena Nyambio contributed seven blocks in addition to posting five kills. For the second consecutive match, setter Morgan Burke crossed the 40-assist mark, posting 41.
Michigan (3-17, 1-10 Big Ten) and Penn State (15-5, 9-2 Big Ten) were neck and neck early in the first set, with neither team taking more than a two-point lead until 24 rallies in, when the Wolverines raced out to a 15-11 cushion. The Maize and Blue were the first to break the 20-point threshold on a kill from Murray, but the Nittany Lions used a 10-3 run to come from behind and take set one, 25-23.
The second set belonged to Penn State, despite a four kill performance from Saj McBurrows. The Nittany Lions took an initial 6-2 lead and held Michigan at bay for a 25-16 second set win.
The Wolverines came out of intermission hungry to turn the momentum around, however, and made a dogfight out of the early goings in the third set with seven tie scores in the first 14 rallies. Once the Maize and Blue hit the 10-point mark, it was off to the races, as Amalia Simmons and Boney put up five and four kills, respectively, to cap off a 25-20 set victory.
Both teams brought their all to the fourth and final set, which featured 10 tie scores and seven lead changes. Five consecutive points from Penn State saw a one-point Wolverine lead become 22-18 in the Nittany Lions' favor, however, and Michigan was unable to make a comeback as PSU ended the match with a 25-20 set victory.
Michigan will wrap up the weekend's action on Sunday (Oct. 29) at 2 p.m. against Ohio State, with the match airing live on Fox and Fox Sports 2. The match will serve as the final contest in Crisler for the Wolverines this season.
