12 Blocks, 10 Aces Key Michigan to Win Over Maryland

  0 Wendy Mayer | September 30th, 2017 | Big Ten, College - Women's Indoor, News

MATCH STATS

  • Michigan (RV) def. Maryland 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-15, 25-21)
  • Michigan moves to 12-4, 2-2 Big Ten; Maryland falls to 12-4, 1-3 B1G
  • Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Attendance: 1,362
  • Box Score 

 

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Twelve blocks and 10 aces lifted vote getter Michigan past Maryland in four sets Saturday night.

The Wolverines bested the Terrapins 10-3 in aces, 12-6 in blocks and .242 to .158 in hitting percentage. The Terps managed two more kills (50-48).

After hitting just over .100 in the first two sets, Michigan turned it around with two near .400 efforts.

Senior middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright downed 15 kills on a .500 hitting effort and added seven blocks to pace the Wolverine attack. Junior outside hitter Carly Skjodt added 14 kills and two aces, while redshirt sophomore middle Cori Crocker (9) and senior outside Adeja Lambert (8) rounded out the offense. Lambert served up a team-best five aces, while Skjodt and junior libero Jenna Lerg chipped in two apiece. Lerg led the backcourt with 15 digs, while freshman defensive specialist Natalie Smith added 11.

Sophomore outside Gia Milana notched a match-high 16 kills to pace Maryland, while freshman middle Jada Gardner and freshman outside Samantha Drechsel chipped in nine apiece. Gardner hit at a team-best .471 clip, while senior middle Hailey Murray put up a team-leading four blocks. Junior libero Kelsey Wicinski was tops in the backcourt with 25 digs.

Four Maryland miscues and two kills by Crocker put Michigan on top 9-3 to start the match. The Terrapins rallied to within two at 12-10 as Milana downed four kills and Murray turned in two blocks. The Wolverines pulled away again with a an 8-1 run, including two aces by Lambert and three Maryland miscues. A stuff by Kieffer-Wright and MacKenzi Welsh gave Michigan a set-point try at 24-16. The Terps saved three points with kills by Drechsel, Murray and Milana, but were done in by a service error.

Two more Lambert aces lifted Michigan to a 4-1 lead in Set 2. Down 7-4, Maryland rallied to take a one-point lead at 10-9 as four different players turned in kills. The Wolverines scored four straight, including a Lambert kill and Kiara Shannon block, to go up 13-10. The Terrapins answered with a 7-2 run, vaulting ahead 17-15. Gardner and Pritchard notched two kills apiece in the rally. After ties at 17 and 18, Maryland surged ahead again with six straight points, two on Samantha Snyder aces and three on Michigan miscues, to earn a set-point attempt at 24-19. A Milana kill evened the match with a 25-19 win.

Skjodt notched three kills and Crocker and Kieffer-Wright downed two apiece as Michigan took a 9-3 lead in Set 3. Skjodt added a kill and an ace and Kieffer-Wright registered two more kills as the Wolverines went up eight at 13-5. Maryland was within six at 17-11, but that sparked Michigan to six of the next eight points and a 23-13 advantage. Two Skjodt kills and two Terp errors guided the rally. A Lambert kill and Shannon block capped the 25-15 victory.

The teams played to a 12-all tie in Set 4, before Michigan managed four straight points, two on Skjodt kills, to earn a four-point cushion at 16-12. Kieffer-Wright notched three putaways to lift the Wolverine lead to six at 22-16. Maryland responded with a 4-0 run, including two Michigan miscues, to pull within two at 22-20. Up 23-21, a Crocker kill and a final stuff by Shannon wrapped up the match.

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About Wendy Mayer

Wendy Mayer

Wendy Mayer has worked in athletics media relations for the last 20 years. The Northwest Missouri State alumna is currently senior writer for Volleymob.com after spending the last 15 years with Purdue athletics.

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