Michigan
5-0
Eastern Michigan
3-2
Wolverines Sweep Eagles, Off to Best Start Since 1998
9/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: Michigan def. Eastern Michigan 3-0 (32-30, 30-26, 30-17)
Records: U-M (5-0), EMU (3-2)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 11 -- vs. Oakland at Michigan/Pepsi Challenge (Cliff Keen Arena), 1:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) led the University of Michigan volleyball team with 15 kills and added seven digs and four blocks, while senior libero Sarah Allen (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) had 21 digs as the Wolverines swept Eastern Michigan 32-30, 30-26, 30-17 in U-M's home opener Friday night (Sept. 10) at the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge in Cliff Keen Arena. Sophomore Danielle Pflum (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) fell one dig short of a double-double with 11 kills and nine digs, while sophomore Erin Cobler (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) had 10 kills on 19 swings (.421) while adding six digs.
Michigan jumped to a 7-2 lead in game one thanks to kills from Gandolph, Pflum and Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida). EMU went on a 12-7 run to pull even at 14 before taking its first lead of the game, 18-17. The teams traded points and the lead until game point with the Eagles leading 29-27. Gandolph recorded her seventh kill of the first game to make it 29-28 EMU, and an attack error tied it up at 29. Another Eagle miscue put U-M up 30-29, but the ensuing serve went into the net, knotting it at 30. In the next exchange, Miller hammered a kill to put the Maize and Blue at game point, 31-30, and Cobler nailed the game-winning ace on the next serve to give U-M a hard-fought 32-30 win.
U-M pulled out to another 7-2 lead in game two, but the Eagles made a late charge to pull within one point, 27-26. A pair of EMU attack errors gave U-M a 29-26 cushion, and a punctuation kill by Cobler gave the Wolverines the game.
U-M never trailed in the third game, cruising to a 30-17 win.
Michigan takes on Oakland University at 1:30 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 11) before hosting Florida State in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. in the finale of the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Mark Rosen
On the team's 5-0 start ... "This early success is a good thing for this club, but there are still things we need to improve on every match. I think that if we improve on things as we head into Big Ten play, that by November we should be a formidible team. We've had good starts before against very stiff competition."
On some of the key performers against EMU ... "Sarah Allen was a steadying force out there tonight. She had 21 digs and settled us down when we needed it. She showed great leadership on the floor today. Stesha Selsky also showed a lot of heart. She hustled for a lot of balls and kept a lot of points alive. The two of them anchored out defense tonight. Jennifer Gandolph had another solid outing and Lisa Gamalski improved notably from game one on."
N O T E S
• Michigan is 5-0 to start the 2004 season, the best start since 1998 when the Wolverines won their first six matches.
• Head coach Mark Rosen needs just one more victory to post 300 career wins.
• Megan Bowman recorded her 200th kill against EMU, giving her 202 for her career.
• Sarah Allen's 21-dig performance put her over the 500-dig mark for her career. Allen now has 501 career digs after posting the second 20-plus dig performance of her career.
