Michigan
16-4, 4-4
Ohio State
8-9, 2-6
Seniors Shine in Michigan Win at Ohio State
10/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Senior captain Katie Bruzdzinski(Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) nailed 19 kills and had four aces, while senior Stesha Selsky(Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) stymied the OSU attackers with 26 digs, as the No. 15-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team posted a 3-0 (30-27, 30-27, 30-28) sweep of Ohio State Saturday (Oct. 13).
Four Wolverine seniors left Columbus on a high note after Michigan managed a sweep of the Buckeyes for the first time since 2003, with senior captain Lyndsay Miller(Ida, Mich./Ida) contributing eight kills and two blocks to the cause, and senior Sarah Draves(Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) adding four timely kills to go with four rejections.
Junior Beth Karpiak(La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) was strong at the net with six blocks, while sophomore Veronica Rood(Temperance, Mich./Bedford) cracked double-digits with 10 kills, giving her 10 double-digit kill performances this season.
The win moves Michigan to 16-4 on the season and 4-4 in the Big Ten, while Ohio State falls to 8-9 and 2-6 in the Big Ten.
Michigan staged a late comeback to win game one, rallying from a five-point, 22-17 deficit to tie it at 25-25 and then end the period on a 5-2 run in a 30-27 victory. Bruzdzinski was big in the stanza, recording the go-ahead point on a kill to make it 26-25 and setting U-M up for victory with another kill to make it 28-26 and force OSU to burn its final timeout. She finished game one with five kills, while on defense it was Selsky who stymied OSU's hitters with 10 digs.
In game two, Michigan started hot and ended hot, building an early 7-3 lead, getting passed in the middle to trail 16-13, and then flying ahead to lead 26-20 in a raucous 30-27 victory. Bruzdzinski started hot with four kills to help Michigan build its early lead, and the senior added another three kills in the middle of the stanza to buoy Michigan when the team went cold. She finished game two with seven terminations. Rood added four kills on 10 swings, while the Buckeye hitters -- perhaps trying to avoid Selsky's efforts -- were forced into nine attack errors, limiting the U-M libero to four digs.
Michigan closed the deal in game three, writing a similar script to game two by pulling ahead early, faltering in the middle and then roaring down the stretch to win out, 30-28. Michigan led 8-2 thanks to a pair of kills and an ace from Bruzdzinski, but OSU rebounded to take the lead at 14-12, forcing Michigan to call timeout. The Wolverines fought back to tie the score at 24-24 and -- once again -- it was Bruzdzinski who put U-M ahead, 25-24, with another kill. The Wolverines led from that point on, finally putting the home team away after four game points to earn the sweep.
Michigan returns home to face the Big Ten's Indiana-based opponents, facing Indiana on Friday (Oct. 19) and Purdue on Saturday (Oct. 20) in Cliff Keen Arena. Both matches are set for 7 p.m. starts.
N O T E S
Before Michigan's win in Columbus Saturday (Oct. 13), no Wolverine on the current roster had ever beaten the Buckeyes.
Michigan snapped a six-match losing streak to the Buckeyes, dating back to 2003. The last time U-M swept the Buckeyes was September 26, 2003.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
