Michigan
18-6, 7-6
Indiana
15-9, 6-7
Offense Stifled as Michigan Falls at Indiana
10/31/2018 9:43:00 PM | Volleyball
» Paige Jones and Carly Skjodt led all players with 17 kills apiece, and both finished with kill-dig double-doubles.
» Junior setter MacKenzi Welsh led all players with a career-best 22 digs.
» The loss is Michigan's first to an unranked opponent this season.
Site: Bloomington, Ind. (University Gym)
Score: Indiana 3, #14 Michigan 1 (25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-17)
Records: U-M (18-6, 7-6 B1G), Indiana (15-9, 6-7 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Nov. 4 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 1 p.m. CST
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Match-high 17-kill efforts from freshman Paige Jones and senior Carly Skjodt were not enough on Wednesday evening (Oct. 31) as the No. 14-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision at Indiana (25-19, 25-1, 22-25, 25-17) inside University Gym.
The loss is Michigan's first to an unranked team this season. After dropping matches to Wisconsin (Oct. 26) and Minnesota (Oct. 27) last weekend, the Wolverines are now on a three-game skid. Prior to the last three matches, Michigan had dropped just three total contests on the season.
Jones and Skjodt led the Wolverine hitters with 17 kills apiece. The offensive effort marked Jones' 14th double-digit kill performance this year and Skjodt's 19th.
From the back row, junior setter MacKenzi Welsh led all players with a career-high 22 digs, while senior libero Jenna Lerg totaled 19. Both Skjodt and Jones earned kill-dig double-doubles with 12 and 11 digs, respectively.
The pace of play was quick to start the first set, and though Michigan took an early three-point lead at 6-3, a 3-0 Indiana run tied things up at 6. The teams traded points from there before the Hoosiers launched a 3-0 scoring rally to come from behind and take a 12-10 lead, which forced a Michigan timeout. Indiana soon extended its lead to six, 18-12, burning Michigan's second timeout in the process, and though multiple Hoosier attack errors allowed the Wolverines to come within three, it was Indiana who took the first set, 25-19.
An ace from Jones jump-started the second set, but the Wolverines were unable to gain any traction offensively and fell behind, 16-12. Michigan did not string together consecutive points from that point on, and an .091 hitting percentage was not enough as the Wolverines dropped the second frame, 25-19.
Michigan took its first real lead of the night in the middle of the third set, as back-to-back kills from freshman Kayla Bair put the Wolverines up, 13-11, and forced an Indiana timeout. Despite the momentum swing for the Maize and Blue, the Hoosiers rallied to tie the score at 16, 17 and 18 before a kill from Jones gave Michigan its defining lead of the frame. Indiana surged late to cut the Michigan lead to two, 24-22, but a Hoosier attacking error pushed the Wolverines to a 25-22 third-set victory.
A three-point Indiana run got the Hoosiers rolling in the fourth set, but Michigan answered quickly to come from behind to tie the score at 5 on a kill from Jones. A 3-0 run gave Indiana back its lead, and the Hoosiers worked to extend their lead to five, 17-12, which forced the Wolverines to take a timeout. Despite the stoppage in play, a .385 Indiana team attacking percentage was too much for Michigan to overcome as the Hoosiers took the fourth set, 25-17.
Michigan (18-6, 7-6 B1G) will get back in action on Sunday (Nov. 4) with a 7 p.m. CST match at Wisconsin before returning home next week for home contests against Maryland (Nov. 7) and Nebraska (Nov. 10).
