Michigan
2-4,0-0Big Ten
North Carolina
4-2,0-0ACC
Wolverines Sweep North Carolina to Open Big Ten/ACC Challenge
9/8/2023 9:49:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan defeated North Carolina in three sets to open the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Crisler Center
» Jacque Boney led the Wolverines on the night with 11 kills and six blocks.
» Scottee Johnson registered a double-double with 19 assists and 11 digs.
» Lydia Johnson had three service aces, four blocks and six kills.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team swept North Carolina in three sets (25-17, 25-21, 25-18) on Friday (Sept. 8) at Crisler Center in the opening match of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Jacque Boney led Michigan with 11 kills and tallied six total blocks (one solo, five assists). Amalia Simmons also registered double-digit kills with 10, the second time in her career. Scottee Johnson tallied her second double-double of the season with 19 assists and 11 digs. Freshman Lydia Johnson had another strong night with six kills, three aces and four block assists. As a team, the Wolverines hit .305 and tallied 11.5 total blocks.
Michigan (2-4) took the lead to start the match with an attack error from the Tar Heels and then doubled its lead with an ace from Kendall Murray. UNC tied the score up at 2, but a kill from Simmons gave Michigan the lead which U-M kept for the remainder of set one. UNC took the first timeout of the set with the Wolverines leading 11-7. Five different Wolverines registered kills in that stretch.
Out of the timeout, U-M extended its lead with a service ace from Scottee Johnson. UNC fought back to get the score within two at 14-12. Lydia Johnson ended the momentum with a kill and sparked a 4-1 Wolverines run. UNC took another timeout after an ace from Lydia Johnson which extended the U-M lead to 18-13, then added another service ace out of the time out. North Carolina tried to battle back, but a kill from Serena Nyambio with an assist from Morgan Burke and a kill from Boney propelled U-M to a 25-17 set one victory.
The Tar Heels (4-2) got off to a better start in set two, taking an early 2-1 lead. After just one tie score in the first set and no lead changes, both teams fought hard in the second with 10 ties and three lead changes. With the score tied at 12, Michigan went on a 3-0 run with kills from Nyambio and Valentina Vaulet and an ace from Brooke Humphrey. UNC took a timeout after the run and kept it close until the end with Michigan never having a lead more than four points for the rest of the set. Over U-M's final nine points, Lydia Johnson registered another service ace and Boney had two kills to help the Maize and Blue win the second set 25-21.
The third set started with a Boney kill set up by Scottee Johnson. After a Michigan service error, the score was tied at 5 and UNC took its first and only lead of the set at 6-5. U-M quickly regained the advantage with kills from Boney, Murray and Vaulet. Michigan never fully pulled away with the Tar Heels keeping the score within four points until a timeout at 18-14. Before the timeout, Michigan was on a 3-1 run with kills from Boney, Murray and Simmons.
Out of the timeout, Boney extended the U-M lead to five with a kill and tallied a service ace soon after to give Michigan a 21-15 lead. The Tar Heels took another timeout and managed three more points in the match. Two kills from Simmons sealed the deal for Michigan to give U-M the third set 25-18 and the match 3-0.
The Wolverines will close out the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Saturday (Sept. 9) at 7 p.m. when they host Duke at Cliff Keen Arena. The match will be streamed live on B1G+.
