Michigan
5-0
Santa Clara
3-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | 21 | 25 | 15 | 13 | 1 |
| Michigan | 25 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Balanced Attack Sends Wolverines Past Santa Clara
9/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Orem, Utah (Shurian Family Activity Center)
Event: La Quinta Inn & Suites Invitational
Result: #24 Michigan 3, Santa Clara 1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-15, 25-13)
Records: U-M (5-0), Santa Clara (3-2)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 3 -- vs. Cal Poly - La Quinta Inn & Suites Invitational (Orem, Utah), 4:30 p.m. MDT
OREM, Utah -- Led by a quartet of Wolverines with double-digit kills, the No. 24-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team dispatched of Santa Clara, 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-15, 25-13), in its second match of the La Quinta Inn & Suites Invitational on Saturday morning (Sept. 3) at the Shurian Family Activity Center.
Courtney Fletcher
Senior/junior Claire McElheny (Westfield, Ind./Brebeuf) led the offensive charge with 15 kills, with senior Alex Hunt (Granger, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph) right behind with 14. Senior Courtney Fletcher (Johns Creek, Ga./Northview) and sophomore Lexi Erwin (Spring, Texas/Woodlands College Park) both put down 11, as U-M hit .438 for the match. Freshman Lexi Dannemiller (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) handed out 51 assists, with senior libero Sloane Donhoff (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) recording 20 digs and sophomore Ally Sabol (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) going for 12.
Tied at 11-all in the first, a slide kill from McElheny ignited a five-point spurt for Michigan, giving the Wolverines a 16-11 advantage. The Broncos responded with four quick points, closing the gap to a point, but a Michigan timeout followed by a Santa Clara service error kept the U-M cushion at two points. The Maize and Blue held the lead the rest of the way, coming away with a 25-21 win. McElheny (six) and Fletcher (five) combined for 11 kills as Michigan hit at a .289 clip.
Santa Clara scored the first point of the second set as the Broncos never trailed in the 25-20 win. The Wolverines closed the gap to a point twice but could never take the lead and hit the break tied at 1-1. SCU hit .394 in the second set compared to Michigan's .243, and the Wolverines did not record a block in the frame.
The Wolverines jumped out to a fast 9-4 advantage in the third set, using a five-point run after the set was tied at 4-4 to take control. Michigan, which hit .536 in the set with just one error, kept the lead throughout the rest of the set, using five kills from Erwin for the 25-15 win.
Michigan once again raced out to a fast start in the fourth set, taking a 10-6 lead to force a Santa Clara timeout. The Wolverines kept a comfortable lead the rest of the way, hitting .367, with freshman Lauren Teknipp (McDonough, Ga./Eagles Landing Christian) ending the set with a kill on the outside for the 25-13 win.
U-M will wrap up the weekend later this afternoon against Cal Poly. Match time is slated for 4:30 p.m. MDT.
NOTES
• For the second straight match, Michigan used the starting lineup of Lexi Erwin, Lexi Dannemiller, Alex Hunt, Courtney Fletcher, Jennifer Cross, Claire McElheny and Sloane Donhoff at libero.
• Michigan last put four in double-digit kills (Alex Hunt, Claire McElheny, Courtney Fletcher, Lexi Erwin) on Nov. 19, 2010.
• Lexi Dannemiller recorded her first career match with at least 50 assists. Her previous high was 40, set last night against Utah Valley.
• Ally Sabol recorded her first match of the season with at least 10 digs. It was the 11th time in her career she has gone for at least 10.
• Freshman Lauren Teknipp recorded her first career kill.
• Sloane Donhoff reached 20 digs for the 11th time in her career and the second time this season.
