Michigan splits in final road trip of season
Mark Burns
Daily Sports WriterNovember 23rd, 2008
It isn’t a lack of focus. It isn’t a lack of execution. And it definitely isn’t a lack of heart.
So why has the Michigan volleyball team been unable to win back-to-back conference road games this season?
The reason is "very, very good teams,” Michigan coach Mark Rosen said.
After losing to Minnesota and beating Iowa this weekend, the Wolverines (11-7 Big Ten, 23-7 overall) have yet another road split under their belt.
Friday night, the 20th-ranked Wolverines had high hopes of defeating No. 12 Minnesota for the second time this season.
But those hopes were eventually smashed, as the Golden Gophers (13-4, 23-6) defeated Michigan in four sets inside the Sports Pavilion.
Down 2-1 in the match, the Wolverines looked to send the match to a fifth and deciding set.
Michigan jumped out to a quick 11-7 advantage in the fourth frame, thanks to kills from junior outside hitter Juliana Paz and senior middle blocker Beth Karpiak.
But the Wolverine lead quickly evaporated as Minnesota tied the set at 15 apiece.
With all the momentum and home-court advantage, the Golden Gophers grabbed four of the next five points, forcing Rosen to call a timeout.
The timeout proved ineffective as Minnesota ran away with the set and the match, giving the Wolverines their sixth Big Ten road loss of the season.
The Golden Gophers’ defense held the Wolverine offense to a mediocre attack percentage of .149 and registered 10 blocks on the night.
“We knew they’d be motivated,” Rosen said. “They are very good defensively and have one of the best liberos (junior Christine Tan) in the country.”
Tan has earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week five times this fall.
Paz led the Michigan attack with 11 kills while Karpiak and junior right-side hitter Megan Bower each had 10.
Sophomore setter Lexi Zimmerman added 38 assists in the losing effort. Zimmerman is second in the Big Ten with 11.51 assists per set.
But the Wolverines were not about to let Friday night’s outcome affect their play for the entire weekend.
“We’re a very resilient team,” Rosen said. “When we’ve won, we’ve never been too overconfident, and when we’ve lost, we’ve never been too dejected.”
The pattern held on Saturday.
That night, Michigan traveled to Iowa, where it defeated the Hawkeyes (6-12, 14-16) in three sets.
“We played a team that was not as good as Minnesota,” Rosen said. “But I’m still proud of how our girls competed.”
Zimmerman's 37 assists on the night went to a handful of Wolverines. Her offensive distribution confused the Hawkeye defense, leading to a .308 attack percentage.
Paz again led the Wolverine offensive with 12 kills while Bower and freshman right side hitter Alex Hunt each added eight. Karpiak had nine kills in the match, giving her more than 1,000 for her career.
As Michigan returns home for its last home weekend. Rosen and the Wolverines will look to knock off No. 1 Penn State for the first time since November 2002.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:28:29 -0400