MATCH STATS
- Iowa def. (RV) Michigan 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21)
- Iowa improves to 13-5 (2-3, Big Ten); Michigan falls to 12-5 (2-3, Big Ten)
- Iowa City, Iowa (Big Ten Match)
- Attendance: 1,455
- Box Score
Iowa City, Iowa – After dropping the opening set at home, the Iowa Hawkeyes reeled off three straight sets and scored a big win over (RV) Michigan. The win puts both teams at 2-3 in Big Ten play as Iowa looks to push toward an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017.
The most notable positive for Iowa during the win was their balanced and efficient offense, as Iowa hit .329 for the match. The one setting the ball around to lead that offense was Gabrielle Orr, who totaled a gargantuan 59 assists in just four sets. Orr’s distribution proved to not just be efficient, but well-balanced as four different players totaled double-digit kills in Taylor Louis (17 kills, .293, five digs), Jess Janota (17 kills, .333), Reghan Coyle (14 kills, .500, four blocks) and Claire Sheehan (11 kills, 20 digs).
That didn’t stop Michigan in the first though, as the combination of MacKenzi Welsh (45 assists, 13 digs, three blocks, three kills, two aces for the match) and Carly Skjodt (22 kills, .271, six digs for the match) helped the Wolverines snag the first set on the road.
From there, it was all Iowa. The second set was close throughout, but the Hawkeyes dominated the third. Set four was tight as well, but Iowa had more than enough to get by Michigan.
Beyond the dynamic offense, Iowa’s defense limited Michigan outside of Skjodt’s big performance. In fact, no other player had double-digits, and of the only other three with nine or more attempts, none hit above .200. In total, Michigan hit .230 for the match.
Beyond the two sides hitting percentages, the Wolverines out-aced the Hawkeyes 4-0 while Iowa out-blocked (6.5 to six) and out-dug (68-50) Michigan.
Moving forward, Michigan heads back home for a Saturday tilt with #6 Minnesota, as the Wolverines will look to extend their 8-0 home record and bounce back from the loss. The winning home team in this one, Iowa, stays in Iowa City for one last time as hosts in this four-match streak as they will see #5 Nebraska on Saturday.
PRESS RELEASES:
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa volleyball team caught fire in the final three sets to defeat No. 22 Michigan, 3-1, on Wednesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
FIGHT FOR IOWA
Claire Sheehan recorded her first career double-double with 11 kills and a career-high 20 digs. Kelsey O’Neill added seven kills, a personal-best .636 attack percentage, and four blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Sets 1 and 2 (21-25, 25-22) | After falling in set one, the Hawkeyes found their rhythm late in set two. The teams opened the set trading points to knot the score 11-11, but the Wolverines quickly took a 16-12 lead. Iowa responded, finishing the set on a 14-6 run to tie the match at 1-1.
Set 3 (25-15) | The Hawkeyes jumped ahead early and never looked back, leading by as much as 17-8 en route to a 2-1 match lead. Jess Janota found her rhythm in the set, amassing seven kills and a block.
Set 4 (25-21) | Iowa continued its momentum from set three, taking an early lead and never trailing to secure the 3-1 match victory. The Hawkeyes had a balanced attack in set four, with Reghan Coyle and Janota amassing four kills and Sheehan, O’Neill, and Taylor Louischipping in three kills each.
HEAR FROM COACH SHYMANSKY
“A little flat for our group at the beginning. I told them that a road team loves to have a flat environment when they are on the road, and we can’t do that to Michigan because they want to play gritty. I thought we really matched their grittiness in the second set and then really took over the intensity of the third and fourth sets. It was a great team effort, but it was definitely sparked by Jess Janota. She went to beast mode tonight and that’s something you can really rally behind as a whole team. Other hitters went to that place, Reghan Coyle was great for us, Taylor Louis was really good, Kelsey O’Neill. Brie Orr set a great game. I’m so proud of our group. This is a moment where you just tell them ‘we know and we believe, but you have to go out there and prove it’. You could just see the little bit of uncertainty and we worked to shed that off tonight in a great victory over Michigan.”
“This is a great confidence boost for us. We have a really good rhythm going right now. We are really excited about Operation 5k. We want to break that attendance record on Saturday night after the homecoming football game. We set a new attendance record last year against Nebraska, and we want to blow through that record again this year. Football ticket holders can bring their ticket stub to get in for free. We have had a tremendous amount of support for this. Our fans have been great, and supporting this effort tells us that they want us to succeed. That’s what Hawkeye fans, that’s what true Hawkeye fans are really all about.”
NOTABLES
- This is the first ranked team the Hawkeyes have topped since a five-set victory over No. 24 Illinois on Oct. 29, 2016.
- Iowa registered a season-high 67 kills. Four Hawkeyes — Coyle (14), Sheehan (11), Louis (17), and Janota (17) — had double digit kills.
- Louis’ 17 kills mark her 14th match of the season with double digit kills.
- Sheehan’s 11 kills mark her seventh double-digit kill match of the season.
- Brie Orr registered a career-high 59 assists. This is her 16th match of the season with 30 or more assists, her eighth match of the season with 40 or more assists, and her second match of the season with 50 or more assists.
- Annika Olsen had 18 digs. This is her 16th match with double digit digs.
UP NEXT
Iowa concludes its four-match home stand Saturday, taking on No. 4 Nebraska at 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Pack Carver-Hawkeye Arena with 5,000 of your Hawkeye friends to watch Iowa take on No. 4 Nebraska. Watch for #Operation5K on our Twitter and Facebook pages for more information.
RECORDS UPDATE
- Iowa: 13-5, 2-3 B1G
- No. 22 Michigan: 12-5, 2-3 B1G
Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena)
Score: Iowa 3, #22 Michigan 1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21)
Records: U-M (12-5, 2-3 B1G), Iowa (13-5, 2-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Oct. 7 — vs. Minnesota (Cliff Keen Arena), 1 p.m.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Despite taking the first set of the night, the No. 22-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team dropped the next three sets to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday night (Oct. 4) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena and fell by a 3-1 score (21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21) for its first loss to a team not receiving votes in the AVCA poll.
Junior Carly Skjodt led the Wolverines with a season-high 22 kills in the match, while sophomore setter MacKenzi Welshnotched her fifth double-double with 45 assists and a season-high 13 digs.
Michigan took a 2-1 lead in the first set on a kill by sophomore Cori Crocker, and the Wolverines never lost the lead from there. Though Michigan extended its lead to six points at 15-9, Iowa surged late and cut the deficit to 22-20, which forced the Wolverines to call timeout. Despite the surge, six kills by Crocker along with the Wolverines’ .326 team attack average allowed Michigan to clinch set one, 25-21.
Despite a 3-0 run to begin set two, the Hawkeyes rallied to take their first lead at 6-5 before a kill by senior Claire Kieffer-Wrightevened things up. From there, seven more tie scores and four lead changes resulted in an Iowa lead late in the set. With the Hawkeyes hitting at a .469 clip, Iowa took set two, 25-22.
Iowa’s momentum continued into the third set, as the Hawkeyes jumped out to a 7-2 lead and forced an early Michigan timeout. Michigan was held to a .079 hitting percentage in the set, and though Skjodt totaled seven kills, it was Iowa that forced a 25-15 third-set win.
The Hawkeye rally continued into the fourth and final set, as Iowa took a 5-4 lead and never looked back. Though the Wolverines fought to cut the deficit to two late in the set, Iowa held the Wolverines to just 12 kills as the Hawkeyes took set four by a 25-21 score.
Three Wolverines finished with digs in double figures as Michigan totaled a 50 team digs. Welsh led the way with 13, while junior libero Jenna Lerg tallied 12 and freshman Natalie Smith recorded 10 to come within one of her career high.
No. 22-ranked Michigan will get back in action Saturday (Oct. 7) when it takes on No. 6-ranked Minnesota. First serve is set for 1 p.m. at the Wolverines’ home court inside Cliff Keen Arena.
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