Michigan
14-3,4-2Big Ten
Ohio State
8-8,1-5Big Ten
Michigan Wins Four-Set Thriller Over Ohio State
10/13/2024 4:17:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan won the first, second and fourth sets en route to a win over Ohio State.
» Allison Jacobs led the team with 19 kills and added two blocks.
» Valentina Vaulet and Morgan Burke both tallied double-doubles in the match.
» Maddi Cuchran had 26 digs in the match along with four assists.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In a four-set thriller, the University of Michigan volleyball team defeated Ohio State (26-24, 25-23, 20-25, 25-21) on Sunday afternoon at the Schottenstein Center.
Michigan (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) was led by Valentina Vaulet and Morgan Burke, who both tallied double-doubles. Vaulet had 13 kills and 17 digs, while Burke had 41 assists and 19 digs. Allison Jacobs led the team with 19 kills, including nine in the fourth set. Maddi Cuchran had a team-leading 26 digs in the match.
Ohio State (8-8, 1-5 Big Ten) opened the first set with a 3-0 run and held the lead until Michigan tied the set at 24. Trailing 10-5, a 3-0 run kept the Wolverines in the set, but the Buckeyes pulled away again, taking a 14-8 lead and forcing a Michigan timeout. Michigan took its second timeout down 20-14 and finished the match on a 12-4 run. The Buckeyes took two of the next three points out of the timeout, but Michigan responded with four straight to force an Ohio State timeout. Serena Nyambio and Jacobs both tallied kills during the run. The Buckeyes again took two of three after the timeout to reach set point, but a kill from Vaulet brought Trixie McMillin to the service line. Three straight Ohio State attack errors tied the match at 24, and a kill from Nyambio put Michigan at set point. The Wolverines converted on their first chance with a Buckeye attack error, leading to a 26-24 first-set win.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle with 14 ties and 11 lead changes. After a 3-0 Ohio State run to open the set, Michigan responded with a 3-0 run of its own, including an ace from Mira Chopra, to tie the game at 4-4 and then took the lead on a Buckeyes error. Ohio State tied the match at five, and the teams traded the lead several times before three straight points for Michigan forced an Ohio State timeout at 12-9. The Buckeyes took a 14-13 lead, but Jacobs tied the match at 14 to spark the Wolverines, who tallied three more points to lead 17-14. Unfazed, Ohio State retook the lead at 18-17, forcing a Michigan timeout. A service error tied the match at 18, and the game was tied again at 19, 20, and 21. The Buckeyes took the next two points for a 23-21 lead, but a Michigan timeout sparked a rally. Out of the timeout, Vaulet tallied a kill, and a Buckeye attack error tied the match at 23. Michigan used an ace from Cuchran to reach set point, and a kill from Jacobs gave Michigan a 25-23 set win.
In the third set, Ohio State jumped out to a 4-0 lead and did not relinquish it. The Buckeyes extended their lead to 10-3, forcing an early Michigan timeout. The Wolverines managed only small runs but were unable to close the large gap. A block from Nyambio and Vaulet prevented Ohio State from converting its first set point, but the Buckeyes secured the third set 25-20 on their second attempt.
In the fourth set, both teams battled hard, with Michigan taking an early 2-1 lead. After Ohio State leads at 6-5 and 8-6, Michigan scored five straight points, led by Burke at the service line. During the run, Nyambio and Vaulet combined on a block, and both added kills. Ohio State took a timeout and managed to tie the game at 12. Following a Buckeye error, Chopra delivered two aces to put Michigan ahead for good. Four consecutive kills from Jacobs extended the Wolverines' lead to 20-14. Ohio State claimed six of the next nine points to narrow the score to 22-20, but a block by Jacobs and Nyambio halted the run. A kill from Jacobs brought Michigan to set point, and an Ohio State attack error secured the fourth set 25-21 and the match 3-1.
The Wolverines return home for a two-game homestand starting with Washington on Friday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at Crisler Center, with streaming available on Big Ten Plus.
