Michigan
1-0
Clemson
0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | 12 | 16 | 13 | 0 |
| Michigan | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
U-M Opens 2013 Campaign with Straight-Set Win over Clemson
8/30/2013 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site: Cincinnati, Ohio (Cintas Center)
Event: Xavier Invitational
Score: #7 Michigan 3, Clemson 0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-13)
Records: U-M (1-0), Clemson (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Aug. 30 -- at Xavier - Xavier Invitational (Cincinnati, Ohio), 7 p.m.
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The seventh-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team opened the 2013 season with a straight-set win over Clemson Friday afternoon (Aug. 30) in the first match of the Xavier Invitational in the Cintas Center. Set scores were 25-12, 25-16 and 25-13.
Molly Toon
Sophomore Krystalyn Goode (River Hills, Wis./Nicolet) was involved in eight of Michigan's 10 total blocks while adding four kills. Senior Molly Toon (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) led U-M's offense with 11 kills, while senior Lexi Erwin (Spring, Texas/Woodlands College Park) and freshman Abby Cole (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven) added nine kills apiece. Senior Jennifer Cross (Scarborough, Ontario/Birchmount Park Collegiate) had seven kills and six block assists, and junior Lexi Dannemiller (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) registered 35 kills, five digs and two blocks. On defense, sophomore Tiffany Morales (Redondo Beach, Cailf./Redondo Union) and senior Ally Sabol (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) had 15 and seven digs, respectively.
The Wolverines hit a blistering .476 in the match's first set on their way to a convincing 25-12 win. Michigan took an early 3-1 lead on a Clemson attack error, but the Tigers rattled off three straight points, capped on an ace. The Wolverines retook the lead at 9-8 on a bad set from Clemson and forced a timeout at 11-8 on a Dannemiller ace. That was part of a 12-2 run for the Maize and Blue as Goode's kill put the Wolverines up 19-10. Cross and Dannemiller combined for a block, one of five in the set, to give Michigan a 22-11 lead. Michigan wrapped up the set with three straight points that included kills from Cross and Toon.
Toon had back-to-back kills to put Michigan up 4-1 in the second set. Clemson cut that lead to 6-5 on a Mo Simmons kill, but three straight points from the Wolverines -- from a Cross termination, Sabol ace and Clemson error -- made it 13-8, forcing the Tigers to call timeout. Michigan went up 18-13 and 20-14 on a pair of Toon kills. Erwin had two late kills, and Michigan clinched the set on a Clemson attack error for the 25-16 second-set win. Toon had six kills in the set on 13 attempts in that set.
Michigan never trailed in the third set, jumping out to a 5-2 lead on a Dannemiller kill from Erwin. Cole's kill made it 10-5 Michigan, while Cross and Erwin combined on a block for a 14-7 advantage. Toon and Goode had blocks for a 19-10 lead. The Wolverines scored the match's final three points, as a Morales service ace clinched the season-opening win. The Maize and Blue also had five blocks in the third set, with Goode assisting on four of them.
U-M hit .315 for the match, while forcing the Tigers to hit -.033. The Wolverines had a 42-28 dig advantage and tallied six service aces.
The Maize and Blue continues play in the Xavier Invitational tonight (Friday, Aug. 30) against host Xavier at 7 p.m. inside the Cintas Center.
NOTES
• Michigan improves to 28-13 in season openers and has now won eight straight lidlifters. U-M has not lost a season opener since a 3-0 defeat by Notre Dame to begin the 2005 season.
• Head coach Mark Rosen has now won 498 career matches through the first match of his 22nd season. His career record is now 498-214.
• The Wolverines hit .315 for the match, the highest for a match by the Maize and Blue since it hit .366 in a 3-0 win at Michigan State on Nov. 21, 2012.
• Michigan had 10 total blocks for the match, the most since U-M had 12.5 blocks in a five-set win over Tennessee on Nov. 29, 2012, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Sophomore Krystalyn Goode had a career-high eight blocks. Her previous high was six at Louisville on Nov. 30, 2012.
• Senior Molly Toon registered 11 kills. It is the 26th time in her career that she has 10 or more kills in a match.
• Senior Jennifer Cross had six blocks and now has 479 career blocks, just 48 away from Michigan's school record.
• Freshman Abby Cole made her collegiate debut in the win. Cole had nine kills and two block assists.
