Michigan
21-6, 9-6Big Ten
Ohio State
11-16, 2-13Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 16 | 14 | 15 | 0 |
| Michigan | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Wolverines Stifle Buckeyes in Three Sets
11/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Result: #19 Michigan 3, Ohio State 0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-15)
Records: U-M (21-6, 9-6 Big Ten), Ohio State (11-16, 2-13 Big Ten)
Attendance: 895
Next U-M Event: Friday, Nov. 14 -- vs. Michigan State (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore setter Lexi Zimmerman's (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) 32 assists piloted a balanced Michigan offensive attack to the tune of a .366 team-attack percentage as the No. 19-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team swept past Ohio State, 25-16, 25-14, 25-15, on Wednesday night (Nov. 12) in Cliff Keen Arena.
Karlee Bruck
In the opening set, Michigan raced out to an early 10-5 lead thanks in part to four Wolverines registering early kills. The offensive explosion continued throughout the opening frame as Michigan outhit Ohio State .364 to .031 on its way to an easy 25-16 win. Juniors Juliana Paz (Porto Alegre, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) and Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) each had four kills, while freshman/sophomore Karlee Bruck (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) added three.
Michigan held just a one-point advantage, 8-7, early in set two. From that point, the Wolverine widened the gap with a 5-0 run spearheaded by back-to-back kills from Zimmerman, forcing an Ohio State timeout. The Buckeyes trimmed the lead to three, 13-10, before Michigan reeled off 12 of the next 16 points to take the set, 25-14. Bower, Bruck, Zimmerman, Paz and freshman Alex Hunt (Granger, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph) each had three kills in the set, while Zimmerman also dished out 11 assists. The Michigan defense played a big role, registering 15 digs and three blocks and held Ohio State to a -.030 attack percentage.
In set three, the Wolverines opened up a 12-6 early advantage on kills by senior Beth Karpiak (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township), Paz and Bruck, as well as several unforced Buckeye errors. After an OSU timeout, the Wolverines accelerated by scoring eight-of-12 points to take a 20-12 lead and force another Buckeye stoppage. Down the stretch, it was Zimmerman who closed out Ohio State with back-to-back kills for a 25-15 win.
The Wolverines posted one of their most balanced offensive nights to date to sweep the season series against the Buckeyes as seven different spikers registered kills, led by Paz with 10. Bruck posted a career night percentage-wise, registering a Michigan individual-season and career-best .818 (9-of-11) attack percentage. Zimmerman finished the night with six kills and nine digs in addition to her 32 helpers. The Michigan defense held Ohio State to its second-lowest hitting percentage of the season (.021) and outblocked the Buckeyes seven to five.
The Wolverines have a short turnaround as they stay home and continue rivalry week with a Big Ten matchup against Michigan State on Friday night (Nov. 14) at 7 p.m. in Cliff Keen Arena.
NOTES
• Michigan held Ohio State to a .021 hitting percentage, the second-lowest total by a U-M opponent this season. The Wolverines held Louisiana-Lafayette to a -.051 in the season opener on Aug. 29 at the Rice University Invitational.
• The win over Ohio State marked the third straight for Michigan, equaling the second-longest winning streak of the season. The Wolverines won three in a row from Oct. 18 to Oct. 25 in Big Ten play. Their longest streak of the season stands at 13 matches to start the season.
• Michigan improved to 4-2 in televised games this season.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On the overall performance versus Ohio State ... "I'm pleased with our effort tonight. I thought we executed very well and were very aggressive. We were able to pick apart their defense through our serve-receive and I think Lexi did an outstanding job of running the offense tonight. We adjusted to what they were doing and a lot of that credit goes to Lexi for recognizing what they were doing defensively and adjusting."
On the balanced offensive attack ... "Ohio State is a commit-block team and I think Lexi did a terrific job of seeing where they were committing and changing up our offense to go around them. In a way, we used their game plan against them by countering their commit-blocking style, but again, it was Lexi's ability to see what was happening and adjust to it that led to the balance."
On the play of Karlee Bruck ... "She was outstanding for us tonight. Anytime you have a hot offensive player like that you have to go to them. I think Lexi did a good job of recognizing the hot hand and Karlee did a great job of finishing. That is something we have talked about all season, finding out hottest hitters and tonight it was Karlee."
On the meaning of beating Ohio State ... "Obviously it is a huge rivalry here at Michigan. It doesn't matter what the sport is, everyone recognizes that you want to win rivalry matches and there aren't many bigger than Ohio State versus Michigan. It is always nice to win matches, but especially rivalry matches."
On the momentum heading into the Michigan State match Friday night ... "We have been playing very well lately and have done a good job of carrying the momentum that has come with those good outings into our next matches. With that said, we have to regroup and game plan to beat Michigan State. We can't hang our hats on what we have accomplished the last three matches. We have to focus on Michigan State because they are a very good team."
Michigan Sophomore Setter Lexi Zimmerman
On the balanced Michigan offense ... "We look to have this type of balance every time we take the court because it is so difficult to defend when everyone is spreading around the attack. I think Ohio State fed into our game plan a little bit and we got into a good rhythm, had a good feel for what each other was doing out there and adjusted well throughout the match."
On the recent play of Bruck ... "Karlee has come a long way in a short amount of time. I am really proud of how well she has been playing lately and tonight she was dominant. I think tonight was a 'look at me' night for her. She made a huge impact. I felt really comfortable setting her."
On the rivalry with Ohio State ... "We prepare the same way for every game, but obviously with a rivalry match comes a different type of emotion and feel to the night. We had a really loud crowd, they were behind us all the way and we feed off of that. It is great to get wins, but winning rivalry and especially doing it in front of the Michigan fans is always special."
