Michigan
14-8, 4-6B1G
Ohio State
11-10, 4-6B1G
Quick Start Paces Wolverines to Four-Set Victory Over Buckeyes
10/22/2017 3:59:00 PM | Volleyball
Site: Columbus, Ohio (St. John Arena)
Score: Michigan 3, Ohio State 1 (25-23, 25-22, 26-28, 25-19)
Records: U-M (14-8, 4-6 B1G), OSU (11-10, 4-6 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 27 -- vs. Iowa (Cliff Keen Arena) 6 p.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Four players totaled kills in double-figures and three posted double-digit digs as the University of Michigan volleyball team (14-8, 4-6 B1G) defeated Ohio State Buckeyes (11-10, 4-6 B1G) in a four set rivalry win (25-23, 25-22, 26-28, 25-19) on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 22) inside St. John Arena.
Junior outside hitter Carly Skjodt led the Wolverine offense for the fourth-straight match, posting 18 kills and leading all players. Senior outside hitter Katherine Mahlke led the offense with a .450 hitting percentage and totaled ten kills with just one error.
Overall, four players totaled double-digit kills in the win. Along with Skjodt and Mahlke, seniors Adeja Lambert and Claire Kieffer-Wright each recorded 10 apiece.
» Carly Skjodt led Michigan for the fourth-straight match, posting 18 kills at a .350 attack average.
» Katherine Mahlke led the Wolverines with a 450 attack average and totaled just one error in the effort.
» The victory caps off a four-match road swing and marks the second time this season that Michigan has defeated Ohio State.
Guiding the Wolverines to a .262 team attack average was sophomore setter MacKenzi Welsh, who totaled 44 assists and led Michigan with 15 digs for her 20th career assist-dig double-double.
Defensively, Michigan registered eight team blocks and had three players finish with digs in double figures.
A kill by sophomore middle blocker Cori Crocker gave Michigan the first point of the day, but the Buckeyes came from behind to tie the score at 5. With 15 tie scores in the first set and the teams playing point for point, Michigan was unable to regain the lead until an Ohio State ball-handling error gave the Wolverines a lead at 19-18. The lead was short-lived, however, as a Michigan service error tied the score once again and a Buckeye kill gave Ohio State back the lead at 20-19 and forced a Michigan timeout. Following the stoppage in play, a kill by Lambert once again tied the score at 23, and back-to-back kills by Skjodt gave the Wolverines a 25-23 first set victory.
The Wolverines took an early lead in the second set, and though the Buckeyes cut that lead to just one point at 9-8, Michigan used kills by Sydney Wetterstrom, Mahlke, Skjodt and Lambert to extend its lead to five at 20-15. Despite the Maize and Blue offense, Ohio State rallied for a 7-0 run to flip the score and take a 22-20 lead, before Michigan responded with a four-point run, including a kill by Lambert and three-consecutive Buckeye errors to regain the lead, 24-22. A kill by Lambert then gave the Wolverines a 25-22 second-set win.
Michigan jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third set thanks to a kill by Mahlke and three-straight service aces by junior libero Jenna Lerg. Following an Ohio State timeout, however, the Buckeyes came from behind to tie the game at 9 and again at 10 before forcing a lead at 11-10. A kill by Crocker allowed Michigan to tie the score once more, and a cross-court kill from Mahlke gave Michigan back a lead at 12-11. From there, the Wolverines maintained a lead through the rest of the match, until Ohio State surged late to take a lead at 25-24. With the score tied three more times, it was the Buckeyes who came up with a third 28-26 set victory.
Back-to-back kills by Skjodt and Welsh gave the Wolverines an early lead in the fourth set of the day, and the Wolverines maintained a lead from there. Though Ohio State cut the deficit to just one point at 15-14, the Wolverines used a 5-1 scoring run to force a 20-15 lead and a Buckeyes timeout. From there, a kill by Lambert and three kills from Skjodt along with a double block from Crocker and freshman Kiara Shannon gave Michigan the momentum needed to clinch set four, 25-19.
The Wolverines will return to play on Friday (Oct. 27) when they take on the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes in what will mark the start of a three-match home stretch. First serve for Friday's match is set for 6 p.m. inside Cliff Keen Arena, and fans can watch the contest streamed live on the Big Ten Network.
