Michigan
7-5, 4-2Big Ten
Purdue
1-10, 1-4Big Ten
Wolverines Score First Victory at Purdue in Four Years
10/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â West Lafayette, Ind. (Intercollegiate Athletic Facility)
Result:Â Michigan 3, Purdue 0 (30-24, 30-26, 30-22)
Records:Â U-M (7-5, 4-2 Big Ten), Purdue (1-10, 1-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match:Â Tuesday, Oct. 9 -- vs. Oakland (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team had not won at Purdue since a 3-0 sweep on Oct. 24, 1997, and as the person with the longest association with U-M volleyball, fifth-year senior Annie Maxwell (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) was the only person on the current squad who was even on the roster back then. That all changed tonight (Friday, Oct. 5) as the Wolverines swept the Boilermakers 3-0 (30-24, 30-26, 30-22) in front of 1,159 fans at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility.
In a contest that matched the Wolverines' fast-paced offense with Purdue's slower, methodical pace, Michigan spread the ball around and came out on top. Three players -- Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS), Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) and Chantel Reedus (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) -- each had double-digit kills, and Gandolph added 13 digs for her fifth consecutive double-double and seventh overall.
Michigan (7-5, 4-2 Big Ten) jumped out to an early five-point lead with the help of two early kills by sophomore Reedus in the first game and extended it to eight at 11-3. However, in a theme that ran throughout the game, the lead shrunk to just three during a service rotation full of short serves by the Boilermakers' Christy Case. Again, the Wolverines extended the lead to take a 16-9 advantage on a kill and service ace from Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) and back-to-back kills from Lehman. Purdue came back to close the gap at 24-22, but Michigan's Gandolph killed consecutive attacks to extend the lead, and Moore put the game away at 30-24 with a block and kill.
Game two started the same as the first, with the Wolverines taking a 3-0 lead from the start. After digging some tough attacks, Michigan extended the lead to 7-2. However, with the Boilers' Tiffany Yoskey serving, Purdue mixed in some short, soft attacks and the Wolverines struggled to adjust. Purdue cut the lead to one at 8-7, but Michigan quickly extended the lead to 11-7. Trading sideout points and series of very short service rotations, Michigan's lead stayed between two and five points until Lehman tallied consecutive kills and Michigan closed out the game 30-26.
Unlike the first two games, Purdue (1-10, 1-4 Big Ten) took the early lead in game three, scoring the first three points. Michigan closed to within one point on two occasions, but Purdue took the lead back to five points at 14-9. However, during a service rotation by senior setter Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS), Michigan pulled within one point at 14-13 after two consecutive blocks by Lehman and Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS). The Wolverines traded sideouts until finally taking the lead at 19-18. During another service rotation by Melka, the Wolverines increased the lead to four points at 24-20. From there Michigan put the Boilermakers away 30-22 by scoring 11 of the final 14 points to win the match 3-0.
The Wolverines, who have won four straight Big Ten contests, are home to host a non-conference match against Oakland University at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 9) in Cliff Keen Arena before resuming Big Ten Conference play at Illinois next Friday (Oct. 12).
NOTES
• Katrina Lehman set a new career high with nine block assists, and she tied her career high with nine total blocks, matching the nine she had Dec. 4, 1999, at Pacific in the NCAA Tournament second round.
• Nicole Poquette, who combined with Lehman for eight of Michigan's 10 blocks, set new career highs for block assists (8) and total blocks (8).
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On the current lineup ... "It is really clicking right now. We have a good combination of offense and defense. It doesn't hurt when Jen (Gandolph) hits 8-for-10 with no errors in the first game. She was really excited to play here in front of friends and family."
On the match ... "This wasn't a match that looked pretty, but we were able to grind out a win. The lighting is tough, and the gym is just hard to play in. They (Purdue) also have a different style. We really had to fight through their slower play."
