Michigan
7-2
Ball State
6-4
Wetterstrom's Career Day Pushes Michigan Past Ball State
9/10/2017 2:10:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan dropped the first set of the match before rallying to win three straight.
» Sophomore Sydney Wetterstrom totaled a career-high 13 kills.
» Freshman Kiara Shannon made her collegiate debut in the match and picked up her first career kill.
» Carly Skjodt (13 kills, 13 digs) and MacKenzi Welsh (41 assists, 12 digs) both finished with a double-double.
Site: Fort Collins, Colo. (Moby Arena)
Event: CSU Tournament (Match 3)
Score: #16 Michigan 3, Ball State 1 (17-25, 25-20, 25-11, 25-18)
Records: U-M (7-2), BSU (6-4)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 15 -- vs. N.C. State (Cliff Keen Arena), 7:30 p.m.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- After dropping the first set of the day by a 25-17 score, the No. 16-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team rallied to win three straight sets and take a 3-1 victory (17-25, 25-20, 25-11, 25-18) over the Ball State Cardinals and wrap up the CSU Tournament on Sunday (Sept. 10) inside Colorado State's Moby Arena.
Michigan (7-2) took the first point of the match on a kill by sophomore Cori Crocker, but the Cardinals (6-4) went on a 3-0 run to take the lead before a kill by senior Katherine Mahlke and a Ball State ball-handling error tied the set at 3-3. The set was played closely from there, until Ball State pulled away at 14-10 and forced a Michigan timeout. Following the stoppage in play, junior Carly Skjodt picked up a kill and a service ace to bring the Wolverines back within two, but Michigan never regained the lead as the Cardinals took set one, 25-17.
Ball State's momentum continued into set two, as the Cardinals jumped out to a 4-0 lead before a BSU service error put Michigan on the board. The Wolverines rallied from there, however, and tied the score at 5-5 and again at 6-6 before a service ace by Skjodt gave Michigan a one-point edge. A back-and-forth affair followed, but three consecutive kills by sophomore Sydney Wetterstrom gave Michigan a lead at 14-11, forcing a Ball State timeout. The Cardinals came from behind to go up, 18-17, before a kill by Skjodt and two by senior Adeja Lambert helped the Wolverines regain control and go on to take the set by a 25-20 score.
Three kills by Skjodt and a Cardinal ball-handling error gave Michigan a quick 4-0 lead in set three, and the Wolverines jumped ahead 6-0 before Ball State got on the scoreboard. From there, Michigan dominated the third set of the day, as a .464 team attacking average and five kills by Skjodt along with a first career kill by freshman Kiara Shannon gave Michigan the offense needed to clinch the third set, 25-11.
A kill by Wetterstrom put the Wolverines on the board first in the fourth and final set, and Michigan jumped out to a 10-5 lead before Ball State took a timeout. Though the Wolverines never led by more than seven, it was Michigan's set as the Wolverines hit for a .361 attack average. Two kills by senior Claire Kieffer-Wright and one by Wetterstrom propelled the Wolverines to a 25-18 set victory to take the match.
Lambert, Skjodt and Wetterstrom led the Wolverine offense with 13 kills apiece. Wetterstrom's 13 kills at a .435 clip also marked a career high.
Defensively, Michigan had three players finish with double-digit digs, and junior libero Jenna Lerg led the charge with 18. Skjodt added 13 digs for a kill-dig double-double, and Welsh finished the day with 12 for her second assist-dig double-double of the season.
Crocker led the blocking effort with five, and Welsh totaled four while Kieffer-Wright added three.
Tweet of the Match
Kiara Shannon picks up her first career kill as Michigan wins set three, 25-11!! pic.twitter.com/DNpw8X9HYj
— Michigan Volleyball (@umichvball) September 10, 2017
The Wolverines will return to action on Friday (Sept. 15) when they kick off the Michigan Challenge with a match against N.C. State. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. inside Cliff Keen Arena. [ Tickets ]
Join the Michigan volleyball team for its Big Ten Conference home opener on Friday, Sept. 29 against Ohio State inside Crisler Center! [ Information ]
