Michigan
12-10, 4-9Big Ten
Purdue
14-7, 6-7Big Ten
Wolverine Spikers Drop Five-Game Thriller to Purdue
11/5/1999 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Result:Â Purdue def. Michigan 3-2 (15-7, 15-11, 3-15, 17-19, 15-12)
Records:Â U-M (12-10, 4-9 Big Ten), PU (14-8, 6-7 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match:Â Saturday, Nov. 6 -- vs. Wisconsin (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team spotted Purdue a two-game lead before fighting back to turn the match into a five-game marathon Friday (Nov. 5). However the Wolverines fell just short and lost a five-game match to Purdue for the second time this year (7-15, 11-15, 15-3, 19-17, 15-12). Michigan's valiant comeback was paced by sophomore Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS), who set career highs in assists (70), blocks (7) and service aces (5) and tied her career best in kills with six.
Purdue started out game one by notching the first three points, only to have Michigan match it with a three-point run of its own. Purdue, however, answered that by scoring the next six points for a commanding 9-3 lead. Michigan came back with a key block from Nicole Kacor (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS) and Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marion HS) and an ace from Melka to cut Purdue's lead to 9-6. That would be as close as Michigan would get though as Purdue won game one 15-7.
Unlike game one, it was Michigan which jumped out to the early lead in game two. Michigan led 5-2 before the Boilermakers fought back with five consecutive points for a 7-5 lead. After Michigan knotted game two at seven apiece, the two teams played sideout volleyball that left the game tied at 10-10. During that stretch, Melka began to click with middle blocker Joanna Fielder (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), who led Michigan with six game-two kills and hit .545 (6-0-11) for the game. Purdue, however, scored the next three points for a 13-10 lead and went on to a 15-11 win for a two-game match lead heading into the intermission.
Michigan came out of the intermission strong and bolted out to a 7-0 lead before Purdue got on the board in game three. Michigan maintained its lead behind solid attacking from Kacor, who led the Maize and Blue with six game-three kills and hit a sizzling .556 (6-1-9). With Michigan ahead 10-3, Melka took over and served the final five points of game three, including three aces, to give Michigan a 15-3 game-three victory. Michigan also out-blocked the Boilermakers 3-0 in game three.
Michigan and Purdue traded points to start game four, which left the score tied at four apiece early on. Purdue then went on a four-point run to lead 8-4 only to see Michigan counter by scoring the next seven points and prompt a Purdue timeout. With Michigan leading 11-9, the Wolverines scored a pair of points on Fielder's serve, including a block from Melka and Annie Maxwell (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) to give Michigan a 13-9 lead. Purdue, however, answered with a four-point run to knot the game at 13. With Purdue leading 14-13, Fielder and Melka combined for a big block to tie the score 14-14. After the teams traded the next six points, the game was tied 17-17 before a pair of Michigan blocks, one from Maxwell and Melka combined and the other from Maxwell and Kacor, gave the Wolverines a dramatic 19-17 game-four win.
Game five was much like the first four as it went back and forth with several lead changes. With the game tied 11-11, Purdue notched the next three points to give Purdue match point at 14-11. A Kacor kill cut Michigan's deficit to 14-12 and staved off one Boilermaker match point. Purdue, however, converted its next match-point opportunity to end Michigan's comeback bid.
Michigan continues its weekend homestand on Saturday (Nov. 6, 7 p.m.) vs. the University of Wisconsin at Cliff Keen Arena. All fans with a ticket stub from the Michigan-Northwestern football game earlier in the afternoon receive free admission for the volleyball match vs. Wisconsin.
MATCH BESTS
Kills: U-M 87 (Sarah Behnke, Nicole Kacor 21); Purdue 92 (Julie Doud 26)
Assists: U-M 84 (Shannon Melka 70); Purdue 87 (Taryn Catlin 76)
Service Aces: U-M 9 (Melka 5); Purdue 3 (Three with 1)
Digs: U-M 75 (Kacor 19); Purdue 82 (Julie Doud 21)
Blocks: U-M 17 (Joanna Fielder 9); Purdue 10 (Three with 4)
NOTES
• Michigan's 87 team kills was a team season best.
• Michigan had three different players record 20 or more kills in a match for the first time this season. Sarah Behnke (21), Nicole Kacor (21) and Joanna Fielder (20) led the Michigan charge.
• Michigan out-blocked Purdue 17-10. The Wolverines' 17 team blocks was a team season high.
• Annie Maxwell came off the bench to record the 100th kill of her career.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On Michigan's comeback ... "I am really proud of the fight in this team. We have come back well all year and tonight was indicative of that because these kids gave tremendous effort. We really came out in game three focused and we executed our plan really well. When we learn how to start a match as well as we finish we will be a tough team to beat. Yet, that is what you get with a young club, and learning to win in the toughest conference in college volleyball is a long process. I definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel with this group."
