Out & About: Minnesota/Michigan

#3 posting 9.30.2007
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MINNESOTA gophers 3, MICHIGAN wolverines 0
(31-29, 31-29, 30-26)

The #12 Gophers remained unbeaten in Big 10 play, but lost middle Jessy Jones. The loss is the 3rd straight for #11 Michigan after they opened the season with 13 straight wins. It was a tight wire act for the Gophers in all three games. The Gophers' blocking game dominated with 18 total points off the net defense and Michigan scraping up 4. The Gophers also had a measure of revenge since the loss in Ann Arbor last fall.

The first game started off like gangbusters for the Maroon & Gold. On Rachel Hartmann's serve the Gophers ran off nine straight points. That run forced the Wolverines to call two time outs, one at 7-4, the other at 11-4. Finally Michigan was able to stop the bleeding with a side out kill by Draves. However that jump started Michigan's motor. On Stesha Selsky's serve the Wolverines added six points (4 on Gopher hitting errors) and then on Megan Bower's serve another five points. All in all it was a 12-1 run and Michigan was back in front. Minnesota used one time out at 11-11 and was able to get the side out after the break. The game then moved into the tight side out phase. The Gophers had five straight first ball side outs to force ties starting at 21. On Brook Dieter's serve Minnesota was on the verge at 27-25. Then three straight missed serves made it 28-27 MN. Katie Bruzdzinski added two points on her serve to lead 29-28. Roehrig put down a kill for the side out tie. On Hartmann's serve Jones and Roehrig put up blocks for the final points.

The second game was much better if you like side out games. On Michigan's first 12 servers, the Gophers notched 11 first ball side out kills. Michigan wasn't far behind at 9/11. Michigan had a little run of 11-5 to go up 24-20. During this time Jessy Jones went down with an ankle injury. Minnesota's first years Dieter and Gibbemeyer each had kills and Dieter an ace to put the Gophers down 26-25. Michigan took the time out and after the break Roehrig hit the ball wide. Michigan took another time out at 28-27 and was able to get the ball back after Kelly Schmidt was in the net. At 29-27 the gophers needed a side out and Roehrig provided a kill. Hartmann never gave the ball back. Schmidt had a block and overpass kill to put MN up 30-29. The final point came on a back row attack as Michigan's passing game broke down and setter Lexi Zimmerman tried to save the ball.

It seemed like Minnesota would cruise in game three after building up a 22-14 lead. However Selsky's serve continued to torment the Golden Gophers. She had added five points on her serve thanks to a couple of hitting errors to get the momentum back. Minnesota took time out at 22-18, but Michigan added two more after that. After a pair of side outs, Minnesota strung together three blocks right down the number line 7-6-5 (Schmidt, then Dieter, then Gibbemeyer). Then another three missed serve string resurfaced. That made it 27-23. Side outs dominated after that. The game wrapped up with a dump by Hartmann, so she was either at the line serving or scoring to finish each game.

photos: #1 Lauren Gibbemeyer goes up for a slide attack; #2 Jones leaving the match in the second game with an ankle injury. photos by kja

MINNESOTA
rotation, player, position, aces-blocks-kills---total points
1. Brooke Dieter, OH 1-1/0-3----5.0
2. Lauren Gibbemeyer, MH 1-1/2-11----14.0
3. Rachel Hartmann, S 1-0/1-6---7.5
4. Hailey Cowles, DS 0-0-0----0
4fr Kayla Roehrig, OH 0-3/5-15----20.5
5 Christine Tan, L 0-0-1----1
5fr Jessy Jones, MH (g1, 2) 0-1/5-2---5.5
5fr Kelly Schmidt, MH (g2, 3) 0-1/4-1---4.0
6 Kelly Roysland, DS 0-0-0----0
6fr Rochelle Hagerty, RH 0-0/4-5---7
6fr Katie Vatterodt, RH (g2) 0-0/1-0----0.5
totals: 3-7/22-44---65 points; 27 points on Michigan errors

MICHIGAN
1. Lexi Zimmerman, S 1-0-3---4.0
2. Katie Bruzdzinski, OH 0-0-16----16.0
3. Stesha Selsky, L 1-0-1----2
3fr Beth Karpiak, MH 0-1/1-3---4.5
4. Megan Bower, DS 2-0-0----2
4fr Sarah Draves, RH 0-0/2-9----10
5 Kerry Hance, DS 0-0-0----0
5fr Veronica Rood, OH 0-0/2-5----6.0
6 Lyndsay Miller, MH 1-0/1-10---11.5
6br Maggie Busch, DS 0-0-0----0
totals: 4-1/6-47----55 points, 29 points on Minnesota errors

TRENCH PLAYER
Kayla Roehrig

BY THE NUMBERS
team, fbso/att; %; total points; earned%; allowed%
Minnesota 31/48, .646, 92, .707; .345
Michigan 29/49, .592; .655; .293
3+ runs: Minnesota 10, Michigan 9
Missed Serves: Minnesota 10, Michigan 9

ROTATIONS
MINNESOTA
1. Dieter 23-16 .590
2. Gibbemeyer 14-14 .500
3. Hartmann 28-22 .560
4. Cowles 7-16 .304
5. Tan 11-9 .550
6. Roysland 9-7 .563
totals: 92-84 .523

MICHIGAN
1. Zimmerman 16-14 .533
2. Bruzdzinski 11-31 .262
3. Selsky 22-7 .759
4. Bower 16-11 .593
5. Hance 9-9 .500
6. Miller/Busch 9-20 .310
totals: 84-92 .477
It was the best & worst of times for the Wolverines. The 2nd rotation really took a hit, while the 3rd kept them in the contest.

Next up: more college reports