Michigan
21-7, 10-6B1G
Michigan State
23-5, 12-4B1G
No. 17 Wolverines Drop Four-Set Match at No. 15 Spartans
11/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
» Abby Cole led the Michigan offense with 16 kills, while Claire Kieffer-Wright totaled 12 kills on a team-leading .435 attack average.
» The loss snaps a three-match win streak for the Wolverines.
» In her first start at libero, Tiffany Clark led the Wolverine back row with 17 digs.
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Jenison Field House)
Score: #15 Michigan State 3, #17 Michigan 1 (25-23, 28-30, 25-23, 25-22)
Records: U-M (21-7, 10-6 B1G), MSU (23-5, 12-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Nov. 18 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 7:30 p.m. CST
• Boxscore
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Despite out-hitting its opponent and a 1-1 tie score going into the break, the No. 17-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team dropped a four-set heartbreaker at No. 15 Michigan State on Saturday night (Nov. 12) at Jenison Field House.
A double-block from Abby Cole and Kelly Murphy put the Wolverines on the board first in set one, and Michigan used the momentum to force a 4-0 lead. Despite the four-point edge, the Spartans rallied to come back and take a lead at 15-13, forcing a Michigan timeout. From there, the Spartans' lead climbed to five, but a 3-0 rally ending with a double-block from Claire Kieffer-Wright and Ally Davis put the Wolverines back within two at 20-18 to force a Spartans timeout. A battle followed, as Michigan worked to tie to the score at 21-21 and fight off the set point, but Michigan State ultimately took the game, 25-23.
The second set of the night was another battle between the in-state rivals, though Michigan State jumpstarted the game on a 6-1 run. Michigan soon overcame the deficit however, using a .323 attack average to battle back and tie the score 13 times. Michigan took its first lead at 18-17 on a Spartan attack error, but neither squad led by more than two until two consecutive service aces from MacKenzi Welsh put the Wolverines up, 24-21. Never yielding, the Spartans fought off two game points and tied the score four more times, but a Michigan State attack error and a kill from Davis gave Michigan the set, 30-28.
With the match tied at one set apiece, Michigan State came out in the third set on a 9-5 run, but a 4-1 Michigan run put the Wolverines back in the game. From there, neither team gained more than a one-point edge, as the third set of the night featured 13 ties as well as a match-high seven lead changes. Despite the back-and-forth play, Michigan State took the set, 25-23.
Michigan State again took an early lead in the fourth set of the night, going up 9-3 to force a Michigan timeout. From there, the Wolverines worked in come-from-behind fashion, cutting the deficit to just two points at 22-20 and again at 24-22. Five team blocks and 14 kills were not enough for Michigan as the Spartans won the race to 25 with a 25-22 fourth-set victory.
In spite of the loss, Michigan out-hit its opponent on Saturday night, earning a .158 attack average to Michigan State's .135. The Wolverines also matched their season-high 16 blocks and totaled seven service aces.
Overall, Cole led the Wolverines in kills with 16, while Kieffer-Wright also finished in double figures with 12 at a team-high .435 attack percentage.
Defensively, Kieffer-Wright and Cori Crocker each totaled seven blocks on the night, while Cole finished the day with five. The back row also had a solid performance, as three players ended the match with double-figure digs. Making her first start at libero this season, Tiffany Clark led the Wolverines with 17 digs on the night, while Murphy picked up 15, and Welsh added 10.
Following a week of practice, the No. 17-ranked Wolverines will continue a three-match road stretch with a stop at Wisconsin on Friday (Nov. 18). First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. CST in Madison, Wisconsin.
