Michigan
16-11,6-10Big Ten
Minnesota
17-9,10-6Big Ten
Wolverines Take Second Set but Fall to No. 16 Minnesota
11/17/2024 5:22:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan dropped a four-set match to No. 16-ranked Minnesota, winning the second set.
» Valentina Vaulet tallied a team-leading 11 kills and added an ace.
» Morgan Burke registered a double-double with 33 assists and 13 digs.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team fell to Minnesota in four sets (8-25, 26-24, 17-25, 15-25) on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 17) at Maturi Pavilion.
Michigan (16-11, 6-10 Big Ten) was led offensively by Valentina Vaulet, who had 11 kills in the match. Morgan Burke tallied a double-double for the fourth straight match with 33 assists and 13 digs. Maddi Cuchran also had double-digit digs with 13, while Serena Nyambio recorded five block assists.
Minnesota (17-9, 10-6 Big Ten) opened the match with eight straight points and controlled the first set from beginning to end. A Golden Gophers service error got Michigan on the board, and a kill from Nyambio helped cut the lead, but the Gophers took 14 of the final 20 points to win the first set 25-8.
The Wolverines started the second set strong with a block from Nyambio and Vaulet. After Minnesota took a 2-1 lead, Nyambio tied it with a kill. Michigan took a 5-3 lead, highlighted by a block from Jacque Boney and Kendyl Reaugh and an ace from Vaulet. The teams traded points and the lead for the rest of the set. Minnesota got out to an 11-8 lead, but four straight points for the Wolverines, led by Demetrician, who tallied a kill and an ace, put Michigan back in front at 13-12. The Gophers took a two-point lead at 21-19, but a kill from Reaugh and a block from Boney and Burke tied the match at 22. With Minnesota at set point, Michigan took the final three points to win the second set 26-24 with three Gopher errors, including a block by Demetrician and Nyambio.
The Gophers started strong again in the third set and got out to a 4-0 and 9-2 lead. Michigan used four straight points to cut into the Gophers' lead, including an ace from Reaugh. Two kills from Vaulet brought Michigan within two at 12-10, and kills from Vaulet and Reaugh cut the Gophers' lead to just one. Minnesota pulled away as Michigan only got within three for the remainder of the set, with the closest being at 18-15. The Gophers took seven of the final nine points to win the third set 25-17.
Minnesota opened the fourth set on a 4-1 run, but Michigan flipped the script and took four of the next five points, with an ace from Reaugh tying the match at five. The teams split the next few points until Minnesota scored five straight for a 13-9 lead. Reaugh tried to keep Michigan in the match with two kills, but the Gophers took 11 of the final 15 points to win the fourth set 25-15.
The Wolverines return home and start a weekend homestand with Maryland on Thursday (Nov. 21) at 7 p.m., with the match streaming live on B1G+.
