Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Michigan
Hoosiers Win Five Set Thriller Over Michigan
9/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
|
Site: University Gym (Bloomington, Ind.) Score: Indiana 3, Michigan 2 Records: IU (10-4), Michigan (5-7) Next IU Game: Friday, Oct. 3 -- vs. Maryland (College Park, Md.), 7 p.m. ET Related Links: Box Score |
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Leading 2-1 in their match against Michigan and tied in the fourth set, sophomore Taylor Lebo got a kill, than an ace on her high-flying jump serve. Six points later Lebo was still serving and after an 8-0 run had put the Hoosiers up 14-6.
The Hoosiers would go up 19-9, but Michigan stormed back to take the fourth set 27-25 and even the match 2-2.
Indiana would show their perseverance and win set five and take the match 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-27, 15-10.
"What I was most proud of tonight was their resilience,” IU Head Coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan said. “They were totally locked into everything they needed to do and had a calm confidence."
Lebo and junior Amelia Anderson led the Hoosiers (10-4, 1-1) with 15 kills apiece and junior Awele Nwaeze tallied nine blocks for IU.
Along with Lebo, who had a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs, sophomore Megan Tallman recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 46 assists and 10 digs. Junior Courtney Harnish, who has recorded double-digit digs in every IU match this season had 12.
After dropping the first set 22-25, the Hoosiers were led by Anderson, who had five kills on eight attempts with just one error in set two.
The second set went back and fourth with 10 ties and three lead changes and the Hoosiers found themselves down 21-20. Back-to-back kills by Nwaeze and Lebo put IU up 22-21, but Michigan tied it 22-22 on a kill by Krystalyn Goode. The Hoosiers forced Michigan into two attack errors to get to set point and Anderson slammed down a kill from Tallman to closeout the set.
The Hoosiers carried that momentum into set three and built a 10-4 lead on an attack error by Michigan. The Hoosiers got kills from six different players and blocks from four different players, including a rejection by Lebo and Nwaeze to put IU up 18-13. A pair of kills put the Hoosiers up 20-15 and carried them to a 25-21 victory in set three.
Set four was a story of two runs as IU struck first and went on an 8-0 run ignited by a Lebo service ace that eventually put the Hoosiers up 14-6. IU would lead by as many as 10 at 19-9, but Michigan stormed back with an 8-0 run of their own and seized momentum and the fourth set, 27-25.
The Hoosiers came out focused on finishing the task at hand in the fifth set and were locked into what they need to do to win the match. IU hit a .417 percentage in the set with seven kills and two errors on 12 attempts.
Neither side would give in and the score was tied 9-9 in the deciding set. Sophomore Jazzmine McDonald pounded one of her seven kills and Harnish served up an ace to put IU up 11-9. After a Michigan attack error the Hoosiers went up 12-9, but the Wolverines came back with a kill to draw within two at 12-10.
The Hoosiers got point 13 via one of 18 Michigan service errors and back-to-back kills by Lebo closed out the set and the match for IU.
Up next the Hoosiers hit the road to take on Big Ten newcomers Maryland and Rutgers. The Hoosiers will play the Terrapins in College Park, Md. on Oct. 3 and the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, N.J. on Oct. 5.
Media Contact: Jeremy Rosenthal, jr359@indiana.edu
