Michigan
8-3, 0-2Big Ten
Ohio State
12-0, 2-0Big Ten
U-M Spikers Drop Four-Game Tilt at No. 25 Ohio State
9/24/2000 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â Columbus, Ohio (St. John Arena)
Result:Â #25 Ohio State 3, #21 Michigan 1 (15-11, 15-9, 11-15, 15-7)
Records:Â U-M (8-3, 0-2 Big Ten), OSU (12-0, 2-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match:Â Tuesday, Sept. 26 -- vs. Toledo (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The 21st-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team dropped its second consecutive match for the first time this season as the Wolverines fell 3-1 (15-11, 15-9, 11-15, 15-7) to No. 25 Ohio State on Sunday (Sept. 24) at St. John Arena. Michigan dropped to 8-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten despite a match-best eight blocks from sophomore middle blocker Katrina Lehman (West Bloomfield, Mich./Marian HS), who also tied her career high with a team-high 12 kills.
Lehman started out the match strong, hitting .714 (5-0-7) in game one and helping Michigan to a 4-1 lead with a pair of kills. Another kill from Lehman on a set from Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS) gave Michigan a 5-3 lead, before Ohio State ran off nine straight points to take control of the game, 12-5. Michigan freshman middle blocker Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Tiffin HS) came off the bench to deliver a block solo and stop the Buckeye run. A pair of kills from junior outside hitter Nicole Kacor (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS) helped Michigan cut the gap to 14-11, but Ohio State notched a block on the final point for a 15-11 game-one win.
Like game one, Michigan jumped out to an early advantage in game two as Alija Pittenger (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HS) and Lehman registered block assists to give the Wolverines a 2-0 lead. However, Ohio State again answered the early Michigan challenge, this time with 12 straight points, buoyed by a game-two hitting percentage of .308 (18-6-39). The Wolverines answered with a 7-2 run of their own, led by senior middle blocker Joanna Fielder (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS). Fielder, who hit .600 (4-1-5) for the game, helped cut the Buckeyes' lead to 14-9 before Ohio State closed out the game 15-9 to take a 2-0 match lead into intermission.
Again in game three, the Wolverines gained the early advantage and led 4-1, keyed by a strong service game from Sarah Behnke (Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore HS) to go with kills from Pittenger and Lehman. Pittenger, in fact, delivered a game-high five kills and hit at a rate of .300 (5-2-10) for game three. Following Lehman's sixth block of the match, Michigan had pushed its lead to 8-2 and forced an Ohio State timeout. Although Ohio State cut the deficit to 8-5, Michigan continued to control play at the net as the Wolverines hit .286 (18-6-42) for the game. Michigan came out of a timeout and rattled off a 5-1 run to lead 13-6. Michigan eventually held off a Ohio State rally and nailed down a 15-11 game-three win on a kill from Fielder.
Michigan was unable to build on the momentum from a game-three win and fell behind early in game four, due in most part to a -.021 (8-9-48) hitting percentage for the game. With the Wolverines trailing 4-2, Ohio State went on a 7-0 run, which was paced by a pair of service aces, to lead 11-2 and force a Michigan timeout. Out of the timeout, the Wolverines went on a 5-1 run of their own and trailed just 12-7 after blocks from Kacor and Fielder. However, Ohio State called a timeout and regrouped to record the final two points of the match for a 15-7 game-four win and a 3-1 match victory.
Michigan takes a break from Big Ten Conference action with home match on Tuesday (Sept. 26, 7 p.m.) vs. Toledo at Cliff Keen Arena.
MATCH BESTS
Kills: U-M 52 (Katrina Lehman 12); OSU 66 (Sue Calligaris 16)
Assists: U-M 45 (Shannon Melka 41); OSU 54 (Katie Virtue 51)
Service Aces: U-M 1 (Alija Pittenger 1); OSU 4 (Anne Botica 2)
Digs: U-M 56 (Nicole Kacor 19); OSU 72 (Botica 17)
Blocks: U-M 12 (Lehman 8); OSU 14 (Suzie Stilling 7)
NOTES
• Katrina Lehman's 12 kills vs. Ohio State were a Michigan match best, marking the first time this season Lehman has led the Wolverines in kills.
• Michigan's 12 team blocks vs. Ohio State represent its second-highest total this season and its highest for a match that went fewer than five games. The Wolverines collected 13 in a 3-2 win over Houston (Sept. 15).
• Michigan's 3-1 loss to Ohio State is the Wolverines' first four-game match of the season. The Maize and Blue is 7-1 in three-game matches, 1-1 in five-gamers.
QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Rosen
On starting out 0-2 in the Big Ten ... "It is a little disappointing because we had begun to play pretty good volleyball in our last tournament leading into the Big Ten schedule. However, when you open up conference play on the road against a pair of top-25 teams, you know you are in for a tough week. The good part is we have a veteran team that has been down this road before and showed great character by bouncing back following tough losses, and I expect them to do the same this week."
