Michigan
5-17,3-10Big Ten
Iowa
8-17,0-13Big Ten
Vaulet Shines as Wolverines Sweep Hawkeyes
11/3/2023 9:40:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan defeated Iowa in three sets for its first sweep in Big Ten conference play this season.
» Valentina Vaulet let the team in kills (12), blocks (5) and aces (4).
» Hannah Grant led Michigan with 12 digs on the night, with Maddi Cuchran close behind at 11.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A match-high 19.5 total points from freshman Valentina Vaulet propelled the University of Michigan volleyball team to a sweep over Iowa (25-20, 26-24, 25-14) at Cliff Keen Arena on Friday night (Nov. 3).
Vaulet finished with 19.5 total points on the night, including a match-high, four service aces and five blocks. Jacque Boney was the only other Wolverine to reach double-digit kills in the victory, totaling 10. Freshman setter Morgan Burke tallied 33 assists, her fourth straight match with 30-plus. Hannah Grant led the team in digs (12) for the first time since her return to the court, while Maddi Cuchran finished with 11. Serena Nyambio ended the night with five blocks.
Michigan (5-17, 3-10 Big Ten) took the first multi-point lead on a kill from Boney and an Iowa attack error. Iowa kept it close and never fell behind by more than three points early in the match. Boney tallied a kill to put Michigan up 12-9, but the Hawkeyes quickly responded with a 5-1 run that forced a U-M timeout. Out of the timeout, Vaulet tallied a kill which tied the score at 14. The teams traded the next eight points of the match to keep the score tied, this time at 18, but Michigan finished the set on a 7-2 run with an ace from Vaulet and two kills from Kendall Murray. Boney slammed down the final point of the frame for a 25-20 set one victory.
Both teams battled hard in the second set, which featured 10 ties and six lead changes. An attack error from the Hawkeyes and an ace from Grant gave Michigan an early lead, but Iowa was able to tie the match at 10 and the teams split the next 18 points to keep the score tied. Iowa took a 24-22 lead late in the set but a solo block from Vaulet held off the first Hawkeye set point and an Iowa attack error tied the match at 24 before the Hawkeyes called timeout. A kill from Vaulet gave Michigan a set-point chance at 25-24, and Nyambio and Burke combined on a block to give Michigan the second set by a 26-24 score.
Iowa (8-17, 0-13 Big Ten) started the third set on a 3-0 run, but Michigan responded quickly as a kill from Vaulet tied things at 6-6 before a kill from Saj McBurrows gave U-M the lead for the remainder of the night. The Wolverines used multiple scoring runs -- including a 7-0 run early and a 5-0 rally later in the set -- as well as a 3.23 team hitting percentage to cruise to a 25-14 third set victory and its first sweep of conference play.
Michigan wraps up a four-match homestand on Sunday (Nov. 5) at Cliff Keen Arena with a contest against Maryland at 2 p.m. The match will be streamed live on B1G+.
