Michigan
24-7, 12-7Big Ten
Indiana
16-15, 8-11Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 24 | 18 | 21 | 0 |
| Michigan | 26 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
U-M Celebrates Senior Night With Sweep of Indiana
11/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Result: #20 Michigan 3, Indiana 0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-20)
Records: U-M (24-7, 12-7 Big Ten), Indiana (16-15, 8-11 Big Ten)
Attendance: 1,256
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. #1 Penn State (Cliff Keen Arena), 6 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 20-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team swept past Indiana, 26-24, 25-18, 25-21, on Senior Night on Friday (Nov. 28) in Cliff Keen Arena. With the win, the Wolverines improved to 24-7, tying the team record for wins in a season, which they set last year.
Junior Juliana Paz (Porto Alegre, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) led the U-M attack with 14 kills, while senior Beth Karpiak (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) celebrated Senior Night with 13 kills of her own and a .455 hitting percentage. Sophomore Lexi Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) recorded 40 assists and 10 digs to earn her team-leading 10th double-double of the season. The sophomore's 40 assists also moved her past Minnesota's Rachel Hartmann and into first place in the Big Ten with 1,249 assists on the season.
In the first set, Michigan came back from a late four-point deficit to win 26-24. After a back-and-forth beginning of the set resulting in a 12-10 Wolverine lead, the Hoosiers went on a 7-1 run to take a 17-13 advantage. A pair of kills by Paz slowed down IU, but the two teams traded points for eight series, making the score 20-16 in Indiana's favor and forcing Michigan into a timeout. The Maize and Blue regained the edge coming out of the break, going on a 5-1 run to tie the score at 21-all. Paz and sophomore/freshman Karlee Bruck (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) picked up back-to-back kills to give Michigan a 24-23 lead and, after an Indiana timeout, Michigan sealed the win on a Hoosier service error and a kill by junior Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral). Karpiak led the Wolverines with five kills, while Zimmerman and senior Kerry Hance (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) provided the defense with six and five digs, respectively.
Michigan came out strong in the second set, claiming an early 5-1 lead with three quick kills from Karpiak. Indiana pulled to within one at 9-8, but U-M took control of the set with a 9-2 run to take an eight-point lead that they never relinquished. The Hoosiers tried to rally late but could not pull any closer than 23-18 before Bower notched a kill and a service ace to secure the 25-18 win. Karpiak again led the Michigan attack with four kills, while Bower was an all-around threat with three kills to go along with her team-leading two service aces and four digs. Zimmerman notched 12 assists for the second straight set to pace the Maize and Blue offense.
After taking a small 7-3 lead to start set three, several Michigan errors allowed the Hoosiers to not only get back in the set but to take control. IU went on an 11-4 run to take a three-point lead which it maintained until late in the frame. Down 18-16, U-M was given a small opening when an Indiana service error pulled the Wolverines within one. The Maize and Blue refused to waste the opportunity as the team went on a 6-2 run and closed out the match, 25-21, on a Karpiak termination. Freshman Alex Hunt (Granger, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph) notched three of the final six points with kills, while Paz led U-M with six terminations in the set. Bower and Hance had five digs apiece on the defensive end.
The Wolverines will return to Cliff Keen Arena on Saturday night (Nov. 29) when they host the No. 1 team in the country, Penn State, in the final home match of the regular season. The match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and can be seen live on the Big Ten Network.
NOTES
• With the win, Michigan equaled the highest win total in the Mark Rosen era with its 24th victory. The Wolverines are now 24-7 heading into the regular-season finale Saturday night (Nov. 29) versus top-ranked Penn State.
• The Wolverines improved to 14-1 in Cliff Keen Arena and have won their last seven straight contests at home.
• Michigan celebrated Senior Night after tonight's match. Beth Karpiak and Kerry Hance were honored for their careers with a video tribute and cake.
• Freshman middle blocker Courtney Fletcher celebrated her birthday with a win over the Hoosiers. Fletcher is the last of six Wolverines to celebrate her birthday during the season.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On the overall play versus Indiana ... "I'm really proud of our team. Indiana is a very good team and to come out and play as well as we did to take care of them in three was terrific. We talk a lot about playing our best volleyball in November and I think we have been doing that. The next step is to play even better in December. We are peaking at the right time, playing well, playing together and I am really proud of how we are playing heading down the final stretch."
On the slow start in set one ... "They are a pretty good team. In the early part of the game, we didn't serve as tough as we needed to and we allowed them to do some things offensively that shouldn't have happened. I thought we had to serve more aggressively and we did that and I just thought that they were playing well and we needed to weather that and we did a nice job of pushing through it."
On the offensive balance versus Indiana ... "I thought we were very balanced tonight. I thought Lexi (Zimmerman) did a great job of distributing tonight and they are a commit team. They commit blockers and usually we are able to figure out a pattern to why teams are committing, but they were very random. Lexi did a great job of watching their blockers and using that against them. It is something we have worked with her on since last spring and I thought she did a great job of that tonight, and it led to the balanced attack."
On the seniors ... "I always say, and it sounds cliche, but I really believe that you go as far as your seniors take you. I think that is true in every sport. It doesn't mean it is all on their shoulders, but they have been around the longest and have the most invested in the program. It is hard being a senior. It is hard to live up to expectations sometimes. This senior class has done a great job of having their best years in their final years, which as a coach is what you hope for and what you expect."
On tomorrow night's match with No. 1-ranked Penn State ... "They are good. Our team knows they're good and we respect them. I don't think we fear them, although we know it will be like climbing Mt. Everest. It is a big challenge for our group, but I think our team is excited to climb Mt. Everest. They get an opportunity that not many teams in America get, that is to play the best team in the country on their home floor. We get to face the odds on favorite to win the national championship and we are excited about that challenge. I think our kids are competitive and they relish the opportunity to take on the best. You never know what can happen. We are expecting a great crowd. The energy will be great and that is why you play the games."
U-M Senior Middle Blocker Beth Karpiak
On the emotions of senior night ... "I think I was more excited than anything. Not nervous or sad, just excited to get out here and play. It has been awhile since we had a win on senior night, and it was important to Kerry and I to break that trend. It felt great."
On what was said to the seniors prior to the match ... "I didn't think anybody would say anything because they try to keep it pretty low key. Mark hates senior night and Leisa isn't a big fan of it either because it is hard on them to say goodbye to a member of their family, but before the match Leisa talked about how we had come this far and challenged the team to go out there and get us a win, and we did."
U-M Senior Libero Kerry Hance
On the emotions of senior night ... "It was so weird. It has gone by so fast. It has been exciting. I hope we keep playing. I hope that senior night is the start of the second season for us. We are looking forward to getting into the NCAA Tournament. Tomorrow might be the last game here at home, but hopefully it isn't the last game for us for awhile."
On what was said to the seniors prior to the match ... "Leisa (Rosen) said 'Beth and Kerry have led this team and you only go as far as the seniors let's win it for them', and it was very short and very sweet. It was the perfect final comment before we came out for the game."
On the decision to come to Michigan being the right decision ... "I think it has been the perfect fit. I have loved playing for Mark and Leisa. I have loved each team all four years. I have made such great friends. I love Ann Arbor. I love the fans, the Zone, and everything about this place is just awesome. You look back on picking a school and now four years later I know that I made the perfect decision."
