Michigan
18-5, 7-4B1G
Purdue
14-8, 4-7B1G
No. 13 Michigan Falls at Purdue in Four
10/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 28, 2016
» Libero Jenna Lerg led Michigan defensively for the 23rd time this season, recording 18 digs along with two service aces.
» The loss is Michigan's first to an unranked opponent in Big Ten play this season.
Site: West Lafayette, Ind. (Holloway Gymnasium)
Score: Purdue 3, #13 Michigan 1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-15, 25-17)
Records: U-M (18-4, 7-4 B1G), PUR (14-8, 4-7 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Oct. 29 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 7 p.m.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team dropped a Big Ten match to an unranked opponent for the first time this season, falling by a 3-1 score (25-19, 20-25, 25-15, 25-17) to the Purdue Boilermakers Friday night (Oct. 28) at Holloway Gymnasium.
Kelly Murphy led the Michigan offense with 12 kills -- the only Wolverine to total kills in double figures on the night. She also tallied 15 digs in the match to earn her second consecutive double-double.
Following Murphy's lead, Abby Cole totaled nine kills, while Carly Skjodt, Claire Kieffer-Wright and Katherine Mahlke each recorded eight.
All but one starter recorded a dig in the contest, as Michigan was forced into playing defense. Libero Jenna Lerg led the back row for the 23rd straight match, recording 18 digs.
Purdue took the first point of the match on a solo block, and a kill from Skjodt put Michigan on the board trailing 2-1. Still down, the Wolverine offense then went on a 4-0 run to take a 6-3 lead and force a Purdue timeout. From there, however, the Boilermakers fought to tie the score at 14-14 and used a 5-0 run to go ahead 19-14. Despite five kills Cole in the set, the deficit was too large for Michigan to overcome as Purdue took set one, 25-19.
Purdue took the first point of set two, but Michigan quickly jumped out to a 4-2 lead on a kill and a service ace from Kieffer-Wright, along with two Purdue errors. The Boilermakers then rallied to tie the game at 10-10, and the teams played point for point until Michigan rattled off three straight for a 16-13 lead. From there, the Wolverines used kills from Murphy, MacKenzi Welsh, Kieffer-Wright and Skjodt to take the set, 25-20.
The Boilermakers dominated sets three and four, holding the Wolverines to just a .114 attack average in the third set and a .027 average in the final game. Lerg anchored the back row in the second half of the match with five digs per set, but it was not enough as Michigan dropped the final two sets of the night.
Prior to Friday night's defeat, Michigan's only losses in Big Ten play had come at the hands of No. 1 Nebraska (Sep. 23), then-No. 16 Penn State (Oct. 1) and then-No. 1 Wisconsin (Oct. 15). The match also marks Michigan's first four-set loss of the season.
Overall, the Wolverines were held to a .117 attack average in the match, marking their second-lowest hitting performance of the season.
No. 13-ranked Michigan will look to rebound on Saturday (Oct. 29) when it faces off against Indiana to wrap up the weekend Big Ten road series. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Bloomington.
Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt
