Michigan
21-13
Cal Poly
23-5
U-M Bows Out to No. 14 Cal Poly in NCAA Tourney
12/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: San Luis Obispo, Calif. (Mott Gym)
Event: NCAA Tournament (First Round)
Score: Michigan lost to #14 Cal Poly-SLO 1-3 (23-30, 30-26, 25-30, 23-30)
Records: U-M (21-13), Cal Poly (23-5)
Next U-M Event: Season Completed
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, against the highest ranked first-round opponent in program history, the University of Michigan volleyball team battled with a record crowd and a hot No. 14 Cal Poly squad in a tightly fought 3-1 loss (23-30, 30-26, 25-30, 23-30) Friday (Dec. 1) at Mott Gym.
Led by Big West Player of the Year Kylie Atherstone's 24 kills, Cal Poly rode the momentum of the raucous record 2,965 fans to take game one and later rally from a brutal start in game three to oust the Wolverines and advance to the second round. Michigan was led by junior Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) and her 16 kills, but the Mustangs did a good job of limiting her output, setting up triple blocks on the left side and holding Bruzdzinski to two kills in game three and three in game four, limiting her attack percentage to .138.
Michigan struggled to find its groove in game one, trailing from the 2-1 mark on and falling behind one game to none, 30-23. Junior Stesha Selsky (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) and Bruzdzinski struggled to connect on the outside, with Michigan's offensive powerhouse tallying five kills and two hitting errors on 16 swings. Atherstone was the star of the stanza, tallying six kills and leading her Mustang mates to an early lead.
The Wolverines found their touch in game two, shrugging off an 18-17 deficit to explode on a 10-1 run, thanks to three kills from junior Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida), to take a 27-19 lead. Michigan maintained the lead despite heavy Cal Poly pressure to win out, 30-26. Miller and Bruzdzinski each tallied six kills, while sophomore Beth Karpiak (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) hammered four up the middle and made a pair of key blocks.
Michigan and Cal Poly took a closely fought contest to the wire in game three, with the teams deadlocked at 23-23 before a late Mustang rally gave the home team a 30-25 win. Bruzdzinski was held to just two kills in the period, while the Wolverines combined for eight attack errors. Atherstone regained her composure for Cal Poly, bouncing back from a three-kill second game to hammer eight terminations for the Mustangs in game three.
Michigan led 13-10 in game four, but suffered a 5-0 Cal Poly run that swung the momentum in the match, giving the Mustangs a 15-13 lead at the midway point. Michigan closed to within one four times -- the last time at 20-19 -- but Cal Poly and Atherstone were too much in a 30-23 Mustang win.
Michigan finishes the year with a 21-13 record, bowing out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round for just the second time in head coach Mark Rosen's tenure.
N O T E S
• Junior Katie Bruzdzinski recorded the most single-season kills in U-M volleyball history, finishing with 537 terminations -- 15 more than previous record holder Erin Moore who had 522 kills in 2003.
• Sophomore Beth Karpiak tied for the seventh-most single-season blocks in school history, finishing with 131 rejections.
• Freshman Megan Bower posted the third-most single-season digs in U-M history, finishing with 434 digs. Stesha Selsky is the single-season leader with 590 digs in 2005.
• Junior Stesha Selsky tied for the fourth-most single-season assists in program history, tallying 1,478 helpers this season.
• Sophomore Beth Karpiak tied for the eighth highest single-season hitting percentage in U-M volleyball history, hitting .288 on the year.
• Fifth-year senior Erin Penn ends her collegiate career tied for second on U-M's all-time matches played list, competing in 126 matches in her career.
