Michigan
5-0
Louisiana State
0-5
U-M Tops LSU to Cap Perfect Day One of Ohio Invite
9/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
» The Wolverines won sets one, two and four to improve to 5-0 for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
» Caroline Knop led Michigan with 14 kills, two shy of her career high.
» Michigan improved to 3-2 in the all-time series against LSU.
Site: Athens, Ohio (Convocation Center)
Event: Ohio Invitational (Day 1)
Score: Michigan 3, LSU 1 (25-14, 25-23, 20-25, 25-16)
Records: U-M (5-0), LSU (0-5)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 5 -- vs. Ohio - Ohio Invitational (Athens, Ohio), 1 p.m.
ATHENS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan volleyball team won its second match of the day at the Bobcat Invitational on Friday (Sept. 4) with a four-set victory over LSU (25-14, 25-23, 20-25, 25-16) at the Convocation Center. With the win, the Wolverines improved to 5-0 on the season, exacting a measure of revenge over the Tigers in the first meeting between the two teams since LSU defeated U-M in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament on Dec. 6, 2013.
"We're still working out some kinks, but I think we did a very good job of responding in the fourth set in both matches today," head coach Mark Rosen said. "That's the sign of a young team. But I liked that they're able to work through things, compete, learn on the fly and still find ways to win. They didn't get rattled."
Sophomore Caroline Knop led Michigan with 14 kills, two shy of her career high, and junior Abby Cole had 11 kills, seven blocks and two service aces. Sophomore Claire Kieffer-Wright notched 10 kills with only one error for a .450 attack percentage. Defensive specialist Tiffany Morales added 22 digs, and senior setter Carly Warner added 31 assists to go with 20 digs for the Wolverines.
Michigan got off to an outstanding start, aided by 10 attack errors in the opening set by LSU (-.067 attack percentage). The Wolverines never trailed in the frame and cruised to a 25-14 set win behind sophomore Katherine Mahlke (5 kills) and Kieffer-Wright (4 kills).
The Wolverines battled through a back-and-forth second set, with both teams locked at 15-15, before LSU ran out to a 22-19 lead. Michigan won six of the next seven points to take a 2-0 set lead, with Cole filling the stat sheet in the frame (4 kills, 2 blocks, 2 digs, and an ace).
LSU had its best effort on the attack in the third set, as Michigan never led, and the Tigers notched 18 kills with only four errors in the frame. Knop notched six of her 14 kills in the set, as the Wolverines tried to mount a rally late, trailing 23-18. But two straight U-M points were answered by consecutive LSU kills to send the match to a fourth set.
A balanced, near-flawless attack helped Michigan close out the match in the fourth set, as the Wolverines had 14 kills with only one error for a match-best .317 attack percentage. U-M held leads of 8-2 and 19-12 before closing out the match by winning four of the last five points, capped off by LSU's 10th attack error of the set and 32nd of the match.
Michigan will play its final match of the Bobcat Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 5) against host Ohio at 1 p.m.
"Ohio is a very good team, a veteran team," Rosen said. "They have enough physicality to give you problems. It'll be great to see a team like that early on in the season, but we're going to have to play pretty well to have a chance to win."
