Michigan
22-12
Stanford
22-8
Wolverines Bounce No. 6 Stanford to Reach NCAA Sweet 16
12/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Palo Alto, Calif. (Maples Pavilion)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Second Round)
Result: #22 Michigan 3, #6 Stanford 1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-20)
Records: U-M (22-12), Stanford (22-8)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Dec. 9 -- at Florida - NCAA Sweet 16 (Gainesville, Fla.), Time TBA
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team is heading to its fourth Sweet 16 in the past five years after knocking off No. 6 Stanford, 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-20), in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night (Dec. 3) at the Cardinal's Maples Pavilion. The Wolverines will now face Florida in the regional semifinal on Friday (Dec. 9) in Gainesville.
Senior/junior Claire McElheny (Westfield, Ind./Brebeuf) put down a match-high 18 kills and senior Alex Hunt (Granger, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph) went for her second consecutive double-double with 17 kills and 13 digs as Michigan hit .291 to Stanford's .228. Freshman setter Lexi Dannemiller (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) handed out 44 assists and recorded 11 digs and five of Michigan's 12 service aces. Senior libero Sloane Donhoff (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) had 16 digs to anchor U-M's backline defense.
After going point for point in the first set, the teams were deadlocked at 18-18 when Stanford blocked sophomore Molly Toon (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) on the outside for a 19-18 lead. Michigan scored just two points the rest of the set as the Cardinal took six of the next eight points in a 25-20 win. Michigan hit .158 in the first, as Stanford recorded 4.0 blocks in the frame.
Back-to-back aces from Donhoff put Michigan on top 10-5 in the second, forcing a Stanford timeout. The Wolverines scored five of the next six points to force another Cardinal stoppage at 15-6. U-M extended its lead to 11 points at 23-12, before Stanford ripped off four consecutive points to climb back within seven at 23-16. The Wolverines regrouped following a timeout, grabbing set point on a Hunt kill off the block and won the set, 25-17, when McElheny found the floor from the middle.
With Michigan and Stanford tied at 11-11 in the third, sophomore Lexi Erwin's (Spring, Texas/Woodlands College Park) cross-court kill ignited a three-point spurt for Michigan as the Maize and Blue went on top, 14-11, on a service ace from senior Courtney Fletcher (Johns Creek, Ga./Northview). Michigan's lead swelled to six at 22-16 when Fletcher and McElheny teamed up for the block on the outside. U-M took three of the next five points, ending the set on a slide kill from McElheny in a 25-18 Michigan win.
Dannemiller recorded back-to-back aces, one off the tape and one on the back line, to put Michigan on top, 10-7, and force an early Cardinal timeout in the fourth. Stanford burned its final timeout after Erwin found the floor on a long point as Michigan went up 14-10. The Cardinal got back within a point at 14-13 but not closer the rest of the way as U-M used a kill from Hunt on the outside to seal a 25-20 win.
N O T E S
• Michigan is 13-11 in the NCAA Tournament.
• Alex Hunt recorded her second consecutive double-double with 17 kills and 13 digs. Lexi Dannemiller also had a double-double for the second consecutive match with 44 assists and 11 digs.
• Michigan has won two in a row against Stanford, both at Maples Pavilion and in the NCAA Tournament.
• U-M is going to its fourth Sweet 16 in program history.
• Claire McElheny had her 16th match with at least 10 kills.
• Michigan is now 2-2 all-time against Stanford.
• Mark Rosen has led Michigan to all four of its Sweet 16 berths.
• Michigan is now 14-0 this season against non-Big Ten teams.
• U-M moves to 21-0 this season when recording a higher attack percentage than its opponent.
• Sloane Donhoff moved her season total of digs to 585, the third-highest season total in program history.
• Michigan knocked off its first top-10 opponent this season. Stanford, ranked No. 6, is the highest ranked opponent U-M has defeated since knocking off No. 6 Illinois during the 2010 season.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen
On tonight's match ... "I am very proud of how our team played. I thought they competed extremely well. The first set, we played well but couldn't quite pull it out. I was happy with how they responded in the second set by serving harder and raising the defensive level. I am just really happy with how we stuck to our game plan and rode our seniors to that win. I add Claire (McElheny) in that group, and she was great tonight. We have great leadership on this team and that showed tonight."
On Claire McElheny's play ... "I thought Claire was just really gutsy tonight. She competed really well. She wanted to take the go-to role and carry her team. Offensively, she carried a big load and wanted more all match long. She stepped up tonight and we needed that."
On advancing to the Sweet 16 ... "I think it is a great testament to the players we have in our program. We saw some ups and downs this season and to be able to fight through it and play our best volleyball at the end of the year says a lot. I think it says a lot about the Big Ten. We play the best teams in the country week in and week out and that prepared us for matches like this."
