Michigan
16-11, 6-9
Northwestern
14-13, 4-11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | 13 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 15 | 3 |
| Michigan | 25 | 22 | 19 | 25 | 13 | 2 |
Comeback Effort Falls Short in Five-Set Loss to Northwestern
11/11/2017 12:03:00 AM | Volleyball
» The five-set match is Michigan's second of the season and second-straight.
» Carly Skjodt led the Wolverines with 20 kills for her first-ever back-to-back 20-kill performance.
» Jenna Lerg led all players with 21 digs for her sixth 20-dig performance of the season.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: Northwestern 3, Michigan 2 (13-25, 25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 15-13)
Records: U-M (16-11, 6-9 B1G), NU (14-13, 4-10 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 11 -- vs. Illinois (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Despite 20 kills from junior outside hitter Carly Skjodt and 21 digs by junior libero Jenna Lerg, the University of Michigan volleyball team fell in five sets (13-25, 25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 15-13) to the visiting Northwestern Wildcats on Friday evening (Nov. 10) inside Cliff Keen Arena.
The five-set match is Michigan's second straight this season, and both have ended in a loss for the Wolverines.
Skjodt led all players with 20 kills in the effort, marking the first time she's posted back-to-back 20-kill efforts in her career. Lerg also led all players from the back row with 21 digs, which marks her sixth 20-dig performance this season.
Senior middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright was efficient, recording 16 kills at a .407 clip and totaling five kills in the fifth and final set. She also led Michigan in blocks with four block assists. Sophomore setter MacKenzi Welsh was equally efficient, earning a career-high seven kills on 11 attempts for a .455 average along with 50 assists.
The serving game was the story of the evening, as both teams combined for 24 service errors. Michigan out-served Northwestern seven aces to five, and senior outside hitter Adeja Lambert tied her career high with four.
The Wolverines made quick work of the Wildcats in the first set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead before Northwestern called timeout. Michigan never lost the lead in set one, and posted a .625 attacking average with just two errors. Skjodt totaled five kills in the 25-13 first-set win, while Kieffer-Wright and senior opposite hitter Katherine Mahlke each added four.
The roles were reversed in the second set, as the Wildcats jumped out to an early 3-0 edge and never lost the lead. Holding Michigan to a .161 attack average, Northwestern posted a .414 attack percentage as the Wildcats took set two, 25-22.
With the match tied at one set apiece coming out of the intermission, Michigan and Northwestern traded points to begin the third set, which featured 12 ties and two lead changes. Despite big kills from Mahlke, Kieffer-Wright and Lambert, neither team could gain more than a two-point edge until a 6-0 run by the Wildcats gave Northwestern a defining lead at 22-16. Michigan responded with back-to-back aces from Lambert, but the surge proved too much to overcome as Northwestern took set three by a 25-19 score.
Though the Wildcats gained a slight lead early in the fourth set, the Wolverines worked efficiently to come from behind and tie the game at 16 on a service ace by Lerg. From there, neither team could gain a significant edge and the lead changed hands four times before the Wolverines went ahead, 21-19, thanks to a kill by Lambert and a Wildcat setting error. With the momentum in favor of the Maize and Blue, the Wolverines brought in sophomore defensive specialist Kyleigh Hamacher to execute a serving run to take set four, 25-21.
A serving run by Lambert gave Michigan a quick 4-0 lead to begin set five, but the Wildcats used a 6-2 run to tie the score at 6. The teams then traded points until consecutive points gave Northwestern a lead at 10-8, but back-to-back Wildcat errors tied things up once again at 10. Kieffer-Wright connected with Welsh for the next three Michigan kills to keep the score tied up at 13, but it was Northwestern who won the race to 15 as the Wildcats clinched the fifth set, 15-13.
The Wolverines will return to play on Saturday (Nov. 11) when they host the visiting Illinois Fighting Illini inside Cliff Keen Arena. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
