Michigan
16-6,6-5Big Ten
Penn State
21-1,11-0Big Ten
Michigan Falls to No. 3 Penn State in Straight Sets
10/30/2024 9:25:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan lost to No. 3 Penn State in three sets.
» Jacque Boney led Michigan with nine kills and added five total blocks.
» Six different Wolverines tallied kills in the match with seven tallying points.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team fell to No. 3 Penn State (16-25, 15-25, 17-25) on Wednesday night (Oct. 30) at Rec Hall.
Michigan (16-6, 6-5 Big Ten) was led by Jacque Boney, who tallied a team-leading 12 points with nine kills, one solo block, and four block assists. Five other Wolverines contributed kills, with Morgan Burke leading the team with 22 assists.
Penn State (21-1, 11-0 Big Ten) opened the match with a kill before Valentina Vaulet tied it at 1-1. PSU retook the lead, but Serena Nyambio quickly tied it at 2-2. The Nittany Lions then scored consecutive points and held the lead for the rest of the set. Boney recorded three kills, and a 3-0 U-M run, featuring a solo block, attempted to close the gap, but PSU took the set's final five points, winning 25-16.
The second set mirrored the first, with Penn State opening with a kill. Michigan tied the match at 3-3 following two kills from Nyambio and a PSU attack error. After PSU regained the lead, Michigan responded with a three-point run, including kills from Ella Demetrician and Vaulet and a block from Demetrician and Boney. PSU tied it at 6-6, but U-M reclaimed the lead with another kill from Boney. Despite U-M's efforts, Penn State went on a 10-1 run to lead 18-11. Burke managed a kill during the run, while Vaulet ended it with a kill. PSU claimed six of the final eight points to win the second set 25-15.
Michigan started the third set strong with a 4-1 run led by a Vaulet kill and a block assist from Vaulet and Boney. PSU quickly tied it at 4-4, and the teams exchanged points until it was 8-8. Penn State then pulled ahead with a four-point streak to lead 12-8, maintaining their lead thereafter. Michigan fought back with consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 12-10 and later to 15-13, but PSU held firm. The Wolverines drew within one following a 3-0 run initiated by a block from Burke and Boney, combined with a PSU error and a Burke kill, bringing it to 17-16. Penn State ultimately took eight of the final nine points to close the set at 25-17.
The Wolverines return home to face No. 15 Minnesota on Sunday (Nov. 3) at 2 p.m., with the match streaming live on B1G+.
