Michigan
8-1
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Western Michigan
5-5
Gandolph Sets Career Digs Mark in Loss to Broncos
9/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: Michigan lost to Western Michigan 2-3 (30-27, 30-25, 27-30, 27-30, 14-16)
Records: U-M (8-1), WMU (5-5)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 18 -- vs. Tennessee at Michigan/Nike Invitational (Cliff Keen Arena), 7:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season Saturday night (Sept. 17), falling 3-2 (30-27, 30-25, 27-30, 27-30, 14-16) to Western Michigan in the Michigan/Nike Invitational at Cliff Keen Arena.
The Wolverines went up two games to none and appeared in control of the match before dropping three games in a row, falling one win short of setting a new program record for wins to open a season. Michigan falls to 8-1, while Western Michigan evens its record to 5-5.
For the third time in one day, Michigan set another career benchmark when senior Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) set a new school record for career digs in the second game. She finished with 15 digs and 14 kills for her first double-double of the season. Sophomore Megan Bowman (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) also had a career night, recording a career-best 20 kills while adding five blocks, and freshman Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) eclipsed her own career best in kills with 16, adding a pair of blocks. Senior Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial) also recorded a double-double with 54 assists and 10 digs.
Michigan overcame a 23-21 deficit in game one when Gamalski keyed a U-M comeback with a sneaky kill, allowing the Maize and Blue to rebound and pull even, 24-24. The teams knotted again at 25 before U-M went on a 4-1 run, with sophomore Erin Cobler (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) closing it out with a resounding kill, giving U-M a one-game advantage.
U-M led the entire way in a game-two victory but came out of the intermission a step slower. Western Michigan pulled ahead for the first time at 9-8 and led until U-M could regain the lead, 24-23, on an attack error. The Broncos pulled ahead by one and inched toward a victory, but Miller tied it up at 27. It was as close as the Wolverines would get as Western finished out the game.
After taking an 10-9 lead, Western never looked back in game four, sending the match to a tiebreaker.
In the tiebreak, no team seized control, tying it up on eight occasions until Western pulled ahead, 15-14, with game point on the line. The Broncos finished off the last point on an excellent defensive effort and handed U-M its first loss of the season.
Michigan looks to rebound against No. 22 Tennessee on Saturday (Sept. 18) at 7:30 p.m. in the finale of the Michigan/Nike Invitational.
