Michigan
6-1
Houston
4-3
Michigan Completes Comeback Win Over Houston
9/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â Fayetteville, Ark. (Barnhill Arena)
Event:Â Arkansas Bank of Fayetteville Invitational
Result:Â #23 Michigan 3, Houston 2 (6-15, 15-7, 14-16, 15-8, 15-13)
Records:Â U-M (6-1), Houston (4-3)
Next U-M Matches:Â Saturday, Sept. 16 -- vs. Virginia (11 a.m. CDT), at Arkansas (7:30 p.m. CDT) in Arkansas Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Playing in its first five-game match of the season, the 23rd-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team came back from a 2-1 deficit to win games four and five and garner a 6-15, 15-7, 14-16, 15-8, 15-13 victory of Houston on Friday (Sept. 15) in the opening match of the Arkansas Bank of Fayetteville Invitational in Barnhill Arena.
Three Wolverines collected 20 or more kills for the match, led by junior outside hitter Nicole Kacor (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS), who hit .300 (22-7-50), collected a career-best 29 digs and registered five blocks to help Michigan up its record to 6-1.
Michigan struggled in game one as it hit just .118 (17-11-51), while Houston countered with a mark of .244 (19-9-41). Michigan's 15-7 loss in game one was just its second opening-game loss in seven matches in 2000. Michigan's struggles attacking prompted head coach Mark Rosen to bring senior co-captain Sarah Behnke (Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore HS), coming off an injured shoulder, off the bench and into action for the first time this season.
Rosen's move proved productive as the Wolverines caught fire in game two, hitting at a rate of .310 (22-4-58). Behnke sparked the Michigan attack as she picked up where she left off in 1999 and hit .367 (22-4-49) for the match, while also collecting 17 digs. Behnke and Michigan junior setter Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS), who registered a career-best 85 assists, clicked just as they did when Behnke set the Michigan single-match kills record in an NCAA Tournament second-round loss to Pacific in the last match of 1999.
Despite the Michigan momentum, Houston was able to weather the Maize and Blue storm and collect a 16-14 win in game three. Houston capitalized on Michigan's struggles in the service game as the Wolverines eventually racked up 13 service errors for the match. Despite the Wolverines' troubles, senior outside hitter Alija Pittenger (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HS) remained a thorn in the Cougars' side, registering a career-best 36 digs as well as a match-best four aces.
Down two games to one, Michigan came out strong in game four as it controlled play at the net, limiting Houston to a hitting percentage of just .055 (11-8-55) for the game. Much of Michigan's success at the net could be attributed to senior middle blocker Joanna Fielder (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), who registered a Michigan season-best nine blocks.
Following Michigan's 15-8 game-four win, the veteran Wolverine lineup that consists of three seniors and two juniors used its experience to pull off a 15-13 win in game five and a 3-2 match victory.
Michigan completes its Bank of Fayetteville Invitational schedule with matches against the University of Virginia (11 a.m. CDT) and host University of Arkansas (7:30 p.m. CDT) on Saturday (Sept. 16).
MATCH BESTS
Kills: U-M 98 (Nicole Kacor, Sarah Behnke 22); Houston 78 (Jennifer Wittenburg 27)
Assists: U-M 93 (Shannon Melka 85); Houston 70 (Morgan Wallen 62)
Service Aces: U-M 8 (Alija Pittenger 4); Houston 5 (Gabriela Carbone 2)
Digs: U-M 122 (Pittenger 36); Houston 105 (Wittenburg 34)
Blocks: U-M 13 (Joanna Fielder 9); Houston 13 (Michelle Frazier 9)
NOTES
• Michigan set team season bests in kills (98), assists (93), digs (122) and blocks (13).
• Alija Pittenger collected a double-double in kills (18) and digs (36) for the fifth time in seven matches this season.
• Michigan has now won nine straight matches played on a neutral site, dating back to Sept. 19, 1998.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On winning a tight five-game match ... "I think it was good for our team to be pushed to the limit because we have not had a match go over three games this season prior to this one. A coach learns a lot about the character and competitiveness of his team in these types of matches and I learned that this team is going to fight everybody all the way to the last point."
On the return of Sarah Behnke ... "Sarah's leadership is so huge for us and I thought that helped us tonight, particularly when we fell behind. Also, when Sarah is healthy she is one of the best outside attackers in our conference and I thought she showed that tonight, especially when you consider that is the first match she has played since last December."
