Michigan
18-10, 8-9
Penn State
24-4, 13-4
Maize and Blue Makes History in Four-Set Road Win at No. 4 Penn State
11/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
» The 3-1 victory is Michigan's second win over a top-25 team this season.
» The win also marks U-M's first-ever victory on Penn State's home court.
» Junior outside hitter Abby Cole picked up 17 kills on the night to lead all players in the match.
Site: State College, Pa. (Rec Hall)
Score: Michigan 3, #4 Penn State 1 (14-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-22)
Records: U-M (18-10, 8-9 Big Ten), PSU (24-4, 13-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 21 -- vs. Nebraska (Crisler Center), 7:30 p.m.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Just four days after picking up its first victory of the season over a top-25 team, the University of Michigan volleyball team defeated the No. 4-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions by a 3-1 score (14-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-22) Wednesday evening (Nov. 18) inside Rec Hall.
Prior to the victory, Michigan had not beaten Penn State since Nov. 2, 2002, when the Wolverines took a 3-2 win over the Nittany Lions at the Wolverines' home court. Coming into the match, Michigan had never defeated the Nittany Lions on their home court.
Michigan took the first point of the match on a first-ball-kill from junior outside hitter Kelly Murphy, but the momentum swung in Penn State's favor from there. The Nittany Lions jumped ahead to a 7-3 lead, forcing a Michigan timeout early on in set one. Penn State then went on an 8-3 run, forcing Michigan to take its second timeout of the set trailing 15-6. Despite a hard-fought Michigan defense, the Penn State offense surged on, forcing a 25-14 first set victory.
The Maize and Blue returned to play in the second set with an offensive surge, going on a 3-1 run before Penn State tied the score at 3-3. Despite Michigan's fight, however, the Nittany Lions soon took the lead, always staying one step ahead of the Wolverines. Later in the set, a 4-1 run by Penn State brought the score to 14-10 in favor of the Nittany Lions, forcing a Michigan timeout. Though at one point Michigan trailed by five, timely kills from sophomore outside hitter Caroline Knop, junior outside hitter Abby Cole and Murphy late in the set forced a 23-22 lead in favor of the Wolverines, resulting in a Penn State timeout. The Maize and Blue then hit the court to stun the Nittany Lions, as a kill from Knop and a double-block from Cole and senior middle blocker Krystalyn Goode sealed the deal and Michigan took set two by a 25-22 score.
Following intermission, the Wolverines launched an offensive attack, going on a 5-1 run before the Nittany Lions could gather themselves. Penn State eventually tied the score, and it was a back-and-forth affair from there, until Michigan went on a 6-0 run to take a 17-13 lead and force a PSU timeout. From there, Penn State tied the score four times, but a 3-0 run at the hands of Murphy and Goode pushed Michigan to a 25-22 set victory and a 2-1 lead in the match.
With a 2-1 lead in favor of the Wolverines, the fourth set began with a kill from Knop to put Michigan up, 1-0. Penn State rallied, however, taking a lead and forcing Michigan to play catch-up. The Maize and Blue tied the game at 15-15, however, going on a run that eventually took home the match. Penn State used both timeouts, but Michigan took control of the set and forced home a 25-22 set victory and a 3-1 upset win.
Michigan's offense was led by Cole, who picked up 17 kills on the night to lead all players in the match. Knop and Murphy also recorded double-digit kills, tallying 14 and 10 respectively. Sophomore middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright also contributed nine, while Goode picked up seven.
It was senior setter Carly Warner who guided Michigan to a .213 attack average with 44 assists on the evening. She also led all players with 19 digs in the match, while senior defensive specialist Lindsey Lerg racked up 12.
From the net, it was Goode who led the Wolverines with five blocks. Cole also registered four, while Kieffer-Wright tallied three.
In total, the Maize and Blue recorded 58 kills to Penn State's 50. Additionally, the Wolverines rallied for 62 digs, holding the Nittany Lions to just 56.
The Maize and Blue will return home to Crisler Center for a match against Nebraska, currently ranked No. 6, on Saturday (Nov. 21). The contest is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start
