Michigan
10-9, 5-4
Penn State
19-3, 7-2
Michigan's Win Streak Snapped at No. 7 Penn State
10/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 24, 2014
Site: State College, Pa. (Rec Hall)
Score: #7 Penn State 3, Michigan 0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-16)
Records: U-M (10-9, 5-4 Big Ten), PSU (19-3, 7-2 Big Ten)
Attendance: 4,622
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Oct. 25 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 5:30 p.m.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team had its four-match winning streak snapped as No. 7 Penn State hit .443 on its way to a straight-set win over the Maize and Blue Friday night (Oct. 24) inside Rec Hall. Set scores were 25-18, 25-16 and 25-16.
Freshmen Caroline Knop and Adeja Lambert had seven kills apiece to lead Michigan, while junior Tiffany Morales had a team-high nine digs. Senior Lexi Dannemiller tallied 28 assists, and Lambert joined sophomore Abby Cole and freshman Claire Kieffer-Wright with two blocks apiece.
Michigan and Penn State traded the first six points, but the Nittany Lions took a 7-3 advantage after a Megan Courtney kill. Knop's kill cut Penn State's lead to 9-6 and junior Krystalyn Goode's termination on an overpass made it 10-8. Dannemiller's service ace trimmed Penn State's lead to 12-11 before Courtney's kill put PSU 15-12. Blocks from Kieffer-Wright and Cole cut the lead to 16-14 but the Nittany Lions answered with a block of their own, giving PSU an 18-14 lead. Knop had kills at 19-15 and 21-16 and Lambert had a termination at 23-18 but Penn State ended the set on a Nia Grant service ace. Knop had five kills in the match's opening set.
Michigan and Penn State were tied at three in the second set after a Nittany Lion block error. Penn State scored the next six points, the final five on Wolverine hitting errors. The Nittany Lions made it 12-4 after a Hancock kill and solo block from Haleigh Washington. Back-to-back PSU hitting errors and kills from Dannemiller and junior Carly Warner cut the lead to 16-9. Lambert's kill on a Penn State overpass made it 17-11 but Penn State went on a 4-0 run, capped by a Micha Hancock service ace. The Nittany Lions took a 2-0 advantage to the locker room after Washington's kill gave PSU the 25-16 win.
Penn State scored the third set's first three points off Hancock's serve before Cole's termination ended the run. Knop's kill made it 4-3 in favor of Penn State. Cole's back-row kill tied the set at five and blocks from Lambert and Goode knotted the set at seven. The Nittany Lions answered with a 5-0 run, capped by a Washington kill. A Grant solo block put PSU up 14-8 and a Laney Pierce ace made it 17-10. Cole's kill had kills at 18-12 and 19-13 and a PSU hitting error cut the lead to five (19-14). Penn State closed out the match on a Frantti kill as the Nittany Lions snapped the Wolverines' four-match winning streak.
The Maize and Blue hit .160 for the match and had four blocks on the night. Penn State had a 36-30 dig advantage and five service aces.
Michigan ends its four-match road trip on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 25) at No. 20 Ohio State. First serve at St. John Arena is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio.
Contact: Kent Reichert
