Michigan
21-9, 10-9B1G
Northwestern
15-16, 5-14B1G
Wolverines Carve Out Three-Set Win Over Wildcats on Thanksgiving Eve
11/21/2018 9:43:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan posted a .311 hitting percentage and sided out at a 71 percent rate.
» The Wolverines held the Wildcats to a .000 attack average (26 kills, 26 errors).
» Paige Jones led the Maize and Blue offense with 13 kills and nine digs.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #18 Michigan 3, Northwestern 0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-19)
Records: U-M (21-9, 10-9 B1G), NU (15-16, 5-14 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 24 -- vs. Michigan State (Crisler Center), 7 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team was firing on all cylinders to celebrate its last regular-season match inside Cliff Keen Arena, as the Wolverines defeated Northwestern in straight sets (25-11, 25-15, 25-19) on Wednesday night (Nov. 21).
The Wolverines earned a .311 team hitting percentage in the victory behind the setting of junior MacKenzi Welsh, marking a team high since a five-set win at Ohio State in mid-October. Michigan also sided out at 71 percent and allowed Northwestern to string together back-to-back points just eight times throughout the match.
Freshman Paige Jones led the Wolverines offense with 13 kills, while senior Carly Skjodt finished with 11. The pair also led all Michigan players with nine digs apiece.
Redshirt junior Cori Crocker led Michigan with an .833 hitting percentage, as she totaled five kills on six swings with no errors. In her first match since Oct. 14, junior Sydney Wetterstrom finished with two kills on two attacks. Welsh added 32 assists and three blocks.
Michigan jumped out to an early 8-4 lead in the first set on a serving run from Skjodt that resulted in a Northwestern timeout. From there, the Wolverines used multiple scoring runs -- including a 5-0 rally late -- to clinch the first set, 25-11. After allowing back-to-back Wildcat points at the beginning of the set, the Wolverines converted 10 consecutive sideout opportunities, and Michigan hit .440 in the set while holding Northwestern to .000.
Northwestern kept pace to begin the second set, but a 4-0 run with Skjodt at the service line allowed Michigan to pull away for a 17-12 lead and burn both of the Wildcats' timeouts. Following the second stoppage in play, the Wolverines answered with an 8-3 scoring run that featured three kills from Jones and two from Wetterstrom to force a 25-15 second-set win.
The squads traded points to begin the third and final set before a 3-0 scoring run capped off by big kill from Skjodt on a long rally put the Wolverines up, 9-6. Northwestern responded after its own timeout to come from behind and tie the score, 10-10, but back-to-back kills from Jones followed by a kill from junior Katarina Glavinic pushed the Maize and Blue ahead by three. Jones and Skjodt each had six kills in the set as the Wolverines closed out the sweep, 25-19.
Tweet of the Match
Michigan wins! Now go home and enjoy your Thanksgiving Break!#GoBlue ???? https://t.co/hWE0PWG2ok
— The Zone (@UMichZone) November 22, 2018
Michigan will wrap the 2018 regular season on Saturday (Nov. 24) with a Maize Out match against in-state rival Michigan State inside Crisler Center. The match, which will serve as the Wolverines' Senior Night, is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Fans can get in free with a ticket stub from Friday's (Nov. 23) Michigan men's basketball game vs. Chattanooga.
