Michigan
1-0
Albany
0-1
Michigan Starts Season with Sweep of Albany
8/25/2017 4:30:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan is now 32-13 in season openers and extended its win streak in first matches of the season to 12 straight years.
» Senior opposite hitter Katherine Mahlke led the Wolverine offense with 11 kills, while sophomore Cori Crocker posted a team-high .571 attack percentage.
» In the first start of her career, junior setter Maddy Abbott totaled a career-high 38 assists.
Site: Los Angeles, Calif. (Galen Center)
Event: USC/LMU Invite (Match 1)
Score: #16 Michigan 3, Albany 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-20)
Records: U-M (1-0), Albany (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Aug. 24 -- at USC (Los Angeles, Calif.), 8 p.m. PDT
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team opened up the 2017 season at the USC/LMU Invite with an efficient three-set victory (25-18, 25-20, 25-20) over the Albany Great Danes on Friday morning (Aug. 25) at the Galen Center on the campus of USC.
With the victory, Michigan is now 32-13 in season openers, and the Wolverines extended their win streak in season openers to 12 straight years.
Michigan scored first to begin the match, as setter Maddy Abbott connected with outside hitter Carly Skjodt for a back-row kill. From there, the Wolverines rattled off three more points before the Great Danes were able to get on the board. Backed by kills from senior hitters Adeja Lambert and Katherine Mahlke, Michigan surged to a 12-6 lead, which forced Albany to call a timeout. When play resumed, Lambert was quick with a termination down the line to extend Michigan's lead further. Hitting at a .279 team attack average, the Wolverines took set one by a 25-18 score.
A double block by Lambert and sophomore middle blocker Cori Crocker gave Michigan the first point of the second set, and the momentum was set from there. Michigan forced an Albany timeout at 9-2, but the Great Danes clawed back within three before the Wolverines went on a 4-0 run to force another Albany timeout at 17-9. From there, however, the Grant Danes rallied to come within two, but six kills by senior Claire Kieffer-Wright propelled Michigan to a 25-20 second-set victory.
Albany took the first point of the third set, but Michigan quickly responded with a serving run by Lambert to take a 5-1 lead. Michigan dominated the first half of the third set and extended its lead to as many as nine points. Despite the surge, Albany fought to close the gap and forced a Michigan timeout with a 3-0 run at 21-17. Kills by Crocker and Lambert as well as a service ace from Abbott then gave Michigan the momentum needed to clinch a 25-20 third-set win and a 3-0 match victory.
Mahlke led the Wolverine offense with 11 kills in the win, while Kieffer-Wright also finished in double figures with 10. Crocker (nine kills) led Michigan in attacking with a .571 mark.
Abbott, a junior who made her first start Friday, totaled a career-high 38 assists and guided the offense to a .237 team attack percentage.
Defensively, junior libero Jenna Lerg anchored the back row for Michigan with 11 digs, while Lambert finished with 10. Freshman Jacqueline DiSanto made her career debut and logged five digs from her defensive specialist position.
The No. 16-ranked Wolverines will return to action later today when they face off against tournament co-host USC. First serve is set for 8 p.m. PDT at the Galen Center.
