Michigan
12-6, 2-4B1G
Minnesota
15-2, 4-2B1G
Michigan Has Perfect Home Record Spoiled by No. 6 Minnesota
10/7/2017 3:43:00 PM | Volleyball
» The loss snaps Michigan's perfect 8-0 win streak when playing at home this season.
» Cori Crocker tied her career high with a team-leading 12 kills.
» Kiara Shannon led Michigan in blocks for the first time with three block assists.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #6 Minnesota 3, #22 Michigan 0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-20)
Records: U-M (12-6, 2-4 B1G), MINN (15-2, 4-2 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 13 -- at Rutgers (New Brunswick, N.J.), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team took an early lead in every set Saturday (Oct. 7) but fell in straight sets (21-25, 21-25, 20-25) to the No. 6-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers inside Cliff Keen Arena.
The loss snapped Michigan's perfect record when playing in Ann Arbor this season. The Wolverines were previously 8-0 and had dropped just three sets through that time.
Sophomore Cori Crocker tied her career high and led the Wolverines with 12 kills at a .320 clip, while senior Claire Kieffer-Wright also finished in double figures with 10 kills at a .353 hitting percentage. Freshman Kiara Shannon led Michigan in blocks (three) for the first time in her career, and junior Jenna Lerg led all players with 17 digs.
A service ace by sophomore MacKenzi Welsh gave the Wolverines the first point of set one, but the Gophers responded with a 4-0 run. From there, Michigan inched back, and a kill off the block by Crocker for a 10-9 lead sparked a 7-3 run that put Michigan up, 16-12, and forced a Minnesota timeout. Despite the surge by the Maize and Blue, Minnesota used seven blocks during a 13-5 run to take a 25-21 first-set victory.
Michigan again took an early lead in the second set as the Wolverines jumped out to a 7-2 advantage and coerced a Minnesota timeout. Using kills by Crocker, Carly Skjodt and Adeja Lambert, the Wolverines' lead continued deep into set two, until an 11-2 Gopher run flipped the score for an 18-17 Minnesota lead. Following a Michigan timeout, a Gopher attack error tied the score at 18-18, but Minnesota used another point-scoring run to take set two, 25-21.
The Wolverines jumped out to a 5-2 lead in set three, and though the Gophers closed the gap at 9-8, Michigan maintained its lead until a ballhandling error allowed Minnesota to tie things up at 15-15. The following kill put the Gophers up by one, but back-to-back kills by Kieffer-Wright and Lambert put Michigan back on top before Minnesota tied the score again at 17-17. The teams traded points until a kill by Lambert and a Gopher attack error gave Michigan the edge at 20-18, but seven unanswered points allowed Minnesota to take set three, 25-20.
No. 22-ranked Michigan will return to play on Friday (Oct. 13) when they head to New Brunswick, New Jersey, for a match against Rutgers that will begin a four-match road swing for the Wolverines. First serve for Friday's contest is set for 7 p.m.
