Michigan
22-10, 11-9Big Ten
Nebraska
27-2, 18-2Big Ten
U-M Unable to Knock Off No. 1 Nebraska
11/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 26, 2016
» With a match-high 20 digs on the night, Jenna Lerg becomes just the sixth Wolverine in school history to total 500 digs in a single season.
» Michigan finishes the regular season with 22 wins overall and 11 wins in Big Ten play for the first time since 2012.
Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Devaney Center)
Score: #1 Nebraska 3, #18 Michigan 1 (25-19, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21)
Records: U-M (22-10, 11-9 B1G), NEB (27-2, 18-2 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Nov. 27 -- NCAA Selection Show (ESPNU), 9 p.m.
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team dropped its final match of the 2016 regular season on Saturday night (Nov. 26), falling in four sets to the No. 1-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers inside the Devaney Center.
Despite the loss, the Wolverines finish the regular season with a 22-10 overall record and an 11-9 record in Big Ten Conference play -- a program-best finish since Michigan's Final Four appearance in 2012. Of Michigan's 10 losses on the season, three came to opponents ranked No. 1 in the country at the time, with two others coming to No. 2- and No. 3-ranked teams.
Nebraska took the first point of the match on a Michigan error, but a Husker service error evened things up. The teams battled from there with neither team scoring more than two consecutive points, but Nebraska pulled away for a 14-8 lead to force a Michigan timeout. Claire Kieffer-Wright led all players with five kills in set one, but the Wolverines were unable to bridge the gap, dropping set one by a 25-19 score.
The Huskers jumped ahead 3-0 in set two, maintaining a lead with a .500 attack average. The Wolverines trailed 15-10 at the media timeout but worked to close the gap to 19-16. Despite the late push, Nebraska rallied for six straight points -- burning both of Michigan's timeouts -- to take set two, 25-17.
Trailing 2-0, the Wolverines came out hard in the third set of the night to take a 13-7 lead and coerce a Nebraska timeout. From there, the Wolverines surged ahead, leading by as many as nine, but the Huskers fought off six set points before a kill from Carly Skjodt gave the Wolverines a 25-22 third-set victory.
Michigan took the first point of the fourth set on a kill from Abby Cole, but the Huskers jumped out to a 7-2 lead to force a Wolverine timeout early on. From there, Nebraska dominated the rest of play, holding the Wolverines to a .135 attack average in the fourth and final set of the night. Despite trailing by as many as eight, Michigan fought to close the gap, winning a long rally at 21-17 as Nebraska called timeout. The late rally was not enough, however, as Nebraska took the fourth set by a 25-21 score en route to the Big Ten Conference title.
Offensively, the Wolverines ended the match with a .115 hitting percentage, though three players ended the night with kills in double figures. Kieffer-Wright and Skjodt each tallied 13 kills in the contest, with Kieffer-Wright's performance marking her eighth straight match in double digits. Cole also picked up 10 kills in the loss, while four other Wolverines combined for the team's other 10 kills.
Kieffer-Wright also led Michigan in blocks for the 19th time this season, totaling five block assists. Cori Crocker added another four, and Skjodt picked up three, as Michigan earned ten team blocks in the outing.
From the back row, Jenna Lerg led all players with 20 digs on the night, becoming the the sixth Wolverine in school history to total 500 digs in a single season. Tiffany Clark also added 12 digs from her defensive specialist position, and MacKenzi Welsh totaled 11.
Combined with her 11 digs, Welsh's 36 assists on the night mark her 12th career assist-dig double-double.
The No. 18-ranked Wolverines now wait to see if they will earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA selection show will air on ESPNU at 9 p.m. Sunday (Nov. 27).
Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt
