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