Michigan
1-0
Maryland
0-1
No. 24 Michigan Dumps Maryland in Season Opener
9/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Stockton, Calif. (A.G. Spanos Center)
Score: #24 Michigan def. Maryland 3-0 (15-6, 15-7, 15-8)
Records: U-M (1-0), Maryland (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 2 -- vs. Sacramento State at Pacific Invitational (Stockton, Calif.), 1 p.m. PDT
STOCKTON, Calif. -- The No. 24-ranked University of Michigan volleyball squad opened up its 2000 campaign with a convincing 3-0 (15-6, 15-7, 15-8) win on Friday (Sept. 1) in its first match at the Pacific Invitational. Michigan's win was paced by senior outside hitter Alija Pittenger (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HS), who notched a match-best 17 kills and 17 digs while helping Michigan to a team hitting percentage of .319 (51-14-116) for the match.
Michigan jumped out quick in game one and scored nine of the game's first 10 points, scoring on three straight serves from junior setter Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS). Michigan freshman outside hitter Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) aided the Wolverine cause with the first kill of her career in game one. Poquette would finish the contest with eight kills and a match-best hitting percentage of .471 (8-0-17). After gaining the 9-1 advantage, Michigan never allowed Maryland any closer than 13-6 en route the 15-6 game one win.
Game two played out similarly to game one as Michigan hit .345 (14-4-29) for the game and was led by four kills from Pittenger, who would finish the match with a hitting pace of .353 (16-4-34). With game two knotted at three apiece, Michigan rattled off five straight points, with four coming off the serve of freshman middle blocker Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS), to lead 8-3. Michigan maintained at least a five-point lead for the remainder of game and capped off game two on a block from sophomore middle blocker Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS), her third of the game.
Michigan closed out the match with a 15-8 triumph in game three, despite its lowest attacking output of the match (.273, 16-4-44). Pittenger measured a solo block in the final game, giving her three total blocks for the match, which tied her with teammate Lehman for match-best honors.
Michigan's next match at the Pacific Invitational is Saturday (Sept. 2, 1 p.m. PDT) vs. Sacramento State in a matchup of two 1999 NCAA Tournament teams. The Wolverines close out tournament action by facing the host Tigers at 7 p.m. PDT.
MATCH BESTS
Kills: U-M 51 (Alija Pittenger 17); Maryland 32 (Carey Brennan 11)
Assists: U-M 46 (Shannon Melka 34); Maryland 29 (Lindsay Davey 24)
Service Aces: U-M 3 (Melka 2); Maryland 6 (Davey, Maren Stuart 2)
Digs: U-M 66 (Alija Pittenger 17); Maryland 46 (Brennan 11)
Blocks: U-M 7 (Pittenger, Katrina Lehman 3); Maryland 4 (Brennan, Amobi, Davey 2)
NOTES
• Three Wolverines made their debuts in a Michigan uniform. Freshmen Nicole Poquette and Erin Moore made their first-ever Wolverine starts, while junior transfer Cobey Shoji (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou HS) played in all three games in her first match for Michigan.
• Michigan now owns a 3-0 all-time advantage over Maryland.
• Nicole Kacor (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS), who led the Big Ten in digs in 1999, registered 14 digs for the match, second only to Alija Pittenger's 17.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On winning the season opener ... "It is always nice to start the season out on a winning note, especially when we were forced to go with a pretty young lineup due to injuries. One of the things I like about this team is that we have good depth and that is evident when you lose two senior starters to injury, yet we were able to play a pretty solid match."
On the play of Alija Pittenger ... "Alija is unbelievable and is one of most versatile athletes we have. She is a player who deserved more credit than she gets, because she is maybe our most consistent performer. Alija is always willing to play her role and tonight she was our featured attacker and she came through with an excellent match."
