The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
September 28, 2015 — 3B

‘M’ splits weekend games

By NATHANIEL CLARK 

Daily Sports Writer

American 
general 
George 

Patton once said, “Success is 
how high you bounce after you 
hit bottom.”

The 
Michigan 
women’s 

volleyball team found out what 
Patton meant this weekend. 
Friday, the Wolverines fell to No. 
20 Purdue, 3-0, and they were 
outblocked, 9-2. On Saturday, 
however, Michigan rebounded 
to defeat Indiana, 3-1.

“We were going to see what 

our team was made of coming off 
a tough loss (Friday night),” said 
Michigan coach Mark Rosen.

Against 
the 
Boilermakers, 

the first set featured a back-
and-forth that left the score 
tied at 23. But a kill by Purdue’s 
Danielle Cuttino and an attack 
error by Michigan sophomore 
outside hitter Adeja Lambert 
gave Purdue the final leg up in its 
25-23 victory.

“The 
first 
set 
was 
an 

unbelievable 
volleyball 
set,” 

Rosen said. “Both teams were 
just going back and forth. For us 
to side out at 75 percent and lose, 
that’s amazing. It just means the 
game is playing so purely.”

The second set began much 

like the first, as Michigan found 
itself clinging to a 12-10 lead. 
But Purdue proceeded to go on 
a 5-0 run to give itself the upper 
hand once again, which the 
Boilermakers did not relinquish 
in their 25-19 win.

Purdue continued its winning 

ways in the third set when it 
went on a 6-1 run en route to a 
25-18 victory.

Despite the loss, there were 

bright spots for the Wolverines.

Lambert ended the night with 

14 kills, surpassing her previous 
season high of 13. Freshman 
setter Maddy Abbott notched 
two service aces and 18 assists.

“I’ve been working on my 

out-of-systems shot in practice 
and just being an all around 

better player,” Lambert said. 
“Whatever I can do to help my 
team out, that’s my goal.”

Saturday, it was clear that 

Michigan wasn’t the same team 
that had lost the night before.

In the first set against the 

Hoosiers, 
the 
Wolverines 

opened up a 14-8 advantage 
before allowing Indiana three 
unanswered points. Then junior 
middle blocker Abby Cole came 
up with a kill, which stunted 
the Hoosiers’ momentum as 
Michigan triumphed, 25-16.

“The 
first 
set 
was 

outstanding,” Rosen said. “We 
jumped out and blocked really 
well, and blocking is a big focus 
point for us.”

At first, it appeared that the 

Wolverines would continue their 
success with a seven-point lead. 
But Indiana stormed back with 
an 8-0 run. Luckily for Michigan, 

freshman Carly Skjodt stopped 
the bleeding with a kill.

The damage had already been 

done, though, as the set went 
back and forth before a shot by 
Skjodt landed just out of bounds 
to give the Hoosiers a 25-23 win.

“We got complacent,” Rosen 

said. “This team has in no 
way earned the right to be 
complacent, not that any team 
has. We’re not far along (enough) 
in our development for that.”

The heartbreak proved to 

be an aberration, as Michigan 
held Indiana to a -.032 hitting 
percentage in set number three. 
Led by Cole’s five kills, the 
Wolverines topped the Hoosiers 
25-14.

Cole and Michigan continued 

to dominate in the final set, as 
6-0 and 5-1 runs propelled the 
Wolverines to a 25-16 set victory. 
Cole ended the night with 14 

kills and 10 blocks, her second 
double-double this season.

“Our centers did a really good 

job of connecting with the other 
centers and me tonight,” Cole 
said.

In Friday’s match, Michigan 

was outblocked, 9-2, and could 
only 
muster 
a 
.193 
hitting 

percentage. 
In 
Saturday’s 

contest, the Wolverines notched 
13 blocks to the Hoosiers’ eight, 
all while compiling a .336 hitting 
percentage.

The differences between the 

Purdue and Indiana went well 
beyond those seen on a stat sheet. 
Saturday’s victory proved that 
Michigan was resilient enough 
to bounce back from a tough loss.

“One of the adjustments our 

coaches wanted us to make is 
to learn as you go,” Cole said. 
“As long as we’re consistent and 
learning as we go, we’ll be fine.”

Michigan drops 
rivalry matchup 
in East Lansing

The Wolverines 

struggled from the 
outset against MSU 

on Friday

By LELAND MITCHINSON 

Daily Sports Writer

It took less than a minute for 

the Michigan women’s soccer 
team 
to 

fall behind 
against 
Michigan 
State on Friday.

Spartans midfielder Michaela 

Kovacs capitalized on a rebound 
inside the 18-yard box to open 
the scoring 46 seconds into the 
game, putting the Wolverines in 
a hole early.

It was a 

quick 
start 

to a long day 
for Michigan 
as it fell to 
Michigan 
State, 
3-0. 
The 

Wolverines 
dropped 
to 

7-4 (2-1 Big 
Ten) on the 
season with the loss.

“Our team was flat the entire 

day,” said Michigan coach Greg 
Ryan. “They won’t make excuses 
for themselves. I won’t make 
excuses for them. They did not 
put in effort representing the 
kind of Michigan we want to 
represent when we step on the 
field, and this is what happens.”

One of the Wolverines’ best 

chances of the game came in 
the sixth minute, when senior 
midfielder Corinne Harris took 
a shot from inside the 18-yard 
box that hit the crossbar.

“We got a little unlucky, 

a couple shots off the post,” 
Harris said. “Overall we were 
just battling, they were battling, 
and they knocked theirs in and 
we didn’t. That’s something we 
are going to keep working on 
this week and for the rest of the 
season.”

While Michigan had won 

three straight over the Spartans 
coming in, the Wolverines were 
never really in Friday’s game. 
They conceded more goals than 
they had in any other game 
so far this season, and did not 
put any real pressure on the 
opposing defense.

Michigan had twice as many 

shots as Michigan State, but 
the Wolverines forced Spartans 
goaltender Gabrielle Gauruder 
to make just two saves.

On the other side of the 

ball, it was the opposite story. 
Michigan State took just seven 
shots but scored three goals. 
If it weren’t for sophomore 
goalkeeper Megan Hinz’s two 
saves, the fixture may have been 
even more lopsided.

Michigan 
had 
some 

opportunities on set pieces, 
drawing 
12 
fouls, 
but 
the 

Wolverines were unable to take 
advantage of any of the dead-
ball situations.

“Every 
single 
year 
we 

play them it’s a huge battle,” 
Harris said. “Michigan State 
is obviously one of our biggest 

rivals, so I think 
both 
teams 

anticipate 
the 

game for a long 
time. 
They 

came 
out 
on 

top today and 
had the better 
chances, 
and 

knocked them 
in, so all credit 
to them.”

One of the 

Spartans’ fouls did turn into 
an opportunity for Michigan in 
the 58th minute, when senior 
defender 
Christina 
Murillo 

hit a free kick on frame. 
But Gauruder was up to the 
challenge, tipping it over the 
crossbar for a Michigan corner.

Junior 
defender 
Anna 

Soccorsi was the only player 
to play every minute for the 
Wolverines, as 10 substitutes 
saw action for Michigan. The 
bench also played a large role 
for Michigan State, as its goals 
in the 61st and 67th minutes 
came from substitutes Kristelle 
Yewah and Erica Goodenough, 
respectively.

“I think they are going to get 

a couple of days’ rest,” Ryan 
said. “This is finally a little bit 
of a break for us. Hopefully they 
will get some energy back and 
hopefully bring some fresh legs, 
fresh minds and fresh hearts to 
the next contest.”

Michigan, which has not won 

on the road this year, will have 
plenty of lessons to learn from 
its contest against Michigan 
State, with games at Maryland 
and No. 2 Rutgers looming next 
week. 

DELANEY RYAN/Daily

The Michigan volleyball team experienced mixed results in its weekend games against Indiana and Purdue.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

MICHIGAN
MSU 

0
3

“They came out 

on top today 
and had the 

better chances.”

THE MICHIGAN 

DAILY TOP-10 POLL 

2. OLE MISS: The University of 
Mississippi changed its name 
to Ole Miss because 85% of its 
football recruits couldn’t spell 
“University” or “Mississippi”.

1. OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes 
beat P.J. Fleck. The nerve of 
some people. The nerve of many 
people, actually.

9. NOTRE DAME: The Irish-
Michigan rivalry game could 
be renewed. In the meantime, 
Notre Dame has replaced it with 
a tough test against UMass.

3. MICHIGAN STATE: What 
do you get when you add a 
compass direction and the 
word “Michigan”? Half of the 
Spartans’ grueling schedule so 
far this season.

6. UCLA: The Bruins 
embarrassed Rich Rodriguez’s 
Arizona team in front of a 
national audience on Saturday 
night. Nice.

5. BAYLOR: Baylor? I barely 
kn... Actually, we know her 
pretty well now.

7. UTAH: Michigan’s loss to the 
Utes’ looks better every week.

4. TCU: Who knew Fox was 
re-airing the 2005 Alamo Bowl?

8. LSU: Trump-Fournette 2016. 
They will Make America Great 
Again.

10. GEORGIA: Chubb loves it 
when he can get some action 
down South. He came up big 
this week in a pounding of 
Southern.

Each week, Daily sports staffers fill out 
ballots, with first place votes receiving 10 
points, second-place votes receiving nine 

and so on. 

Wolverines blank 
Nittany Lions, 2-0

Mellors-Blair, 

Atahuene score as 
Michigan moves to 

2-0 in Big Ten

By AVI SHOLKOFF

For the Daily

When it comes to generating 

scoring chances, the Michigan 
men’s 
soccer 
team 
prefers 
quality 
to 
quantity. 
That 

much was clear Sunday, as the 
Wolverines defeated Penn State 
(1-1-1 Big Ten, 4-2-2, overall), 
2-0, 
despite 
being 
outshot, 

15-6. Michigan claimed sole 
possession of first place in the 
Big Ten with the victory. 

“There 
were 
only 
two 

shots that were dangerous to 
(sophomore goalkeeper Evan 
Louro) and both came in the 
first half,” Daley said. “The 
quality of shots, and quality of 
chances is what we live on.”

The 
Wolverines 
(2-0-0, 

5-2-1) scored the first goal of 
the game in the 35th minute, 
when senior forward William 
Mellors-Blair took a pass from 
redshirt sophomore midfielder 
Michael Kapitula and buried a 
shot in the bottom right corner. 
Kapitula continues to impress 
this season in his first year of 
extended playing time. 

“He’s fully recovered now,” 

Daley said. “He came into the 
season super fit and passionate. 
He’s a great team player.” 

Mellors-Blair continues to 

excel, leading the team in shots 
and scoring his third goal for 
the season — good for second on 
the team. 

But after the opening goal, 

neither team found the net until 
after halftime. 

At the half, Daley urged his 

team to maintain possession 
of the ball and create its own 
offensive tempo. Michigan kept 

its usual 4-3-3 formation despite 
Penn State‘s switch to a 4-4-2. 

“(After) halftime is when you 

want to go for it, in the first 15 
or 20 minutes,” Daley said. “The 
last 30 minutes are always going 
be challenging, especially in a 
1-0 game.”

Louro continued to shine for 

the Wolverines. The sophomore 
had five saves in his third 
clean sheet of the season and 
anchored a defense that faced 
the constant offensive threat of 
Penn State midfielder Connor 
Maloney and forward Dayonn 
Harris. The two combined for 
eight shots, including three on 
goal.

Louro’s 
best 
goalkeeping 

came in the 83rd minute, when 
he came off the line to make a 
save just outside the six-yard 
box. The netminder realized 
that certain saves can mean a 
lot more than simply keeping a 
team from scoring. 

“If I make a save like that or 

a defender blocks a shot, it gives 
the team confidence that we’re 
going to win the game,” Louro 
said. 

The block led to a final 

offensive 
counter 
attack 

for 
Michigan 
that 
allowed 

freshman 
forward 
Francis 

Atuahene to finish off an 
insurance goal. 

Atuahene — the Big Ten 

leader in goals — found the back 
of the net in the 89th minute. 
Atauahene took a break to 
start the second half, but his 
teammates made sure to not let 
up in his absence. 

“We’re a team,” Daley said. 

“It’s not one player that is more 
important than the other. Plenty 
of players do a job in a variety 
of areas. We wanted to look at 
something different when were 
giving (Atuahene) a break.”

With yet another impressive 

performance against a ranked 
opponent, the Wolverines have 
made one thing clear: They may 
not dominate the stat sheet, 
but they will continue to make 
good on the chances they get. 

MEN’S SOCCER

PENN STATE
MICHIGAN 

0
2

