In its first home match since Oct. 2. Indiana took on Michigan on Wednesday at Wilkinson Hall and lost in a three set match. Indiana moved to 8-13 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten with the loss.
Michigan scored the first point of the game and kept the lead in the early part of the set. Later, a point by middle blocker sophomore Savannah Kjolhede tied the first set at 7-7. Indiana then took the lead, going up 10-7 before Michigan tied the score at 11-11 and again at 15-15.
Head coach Steve Aird called a timeout with Indiana down 19-17. Junior Kaley Rammelsberg and senior Breana Edwards scored points coming out of the timeout, but Michigan junior May Pertofsky ended set one with a kill, one of 10 on the night, and Indiana lost 25-22.
“The Pertofsky kid is a really good player and she’s been a pain in a lot of peoples' sides for a while,” Aird said.
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In set two, senior Kari Zumach scored the first point for Indiana. Pertofsky, senior Paige Jones and sophomore Jess Mruzik helped Michigan take the lead. Jones had 13 kills and Mruzik had 11.
“For whatever reason I don't think our engine was going real hot tonight,” Aird said. “I didn't think we played real hard until early in the third game. The second game we just didn't compete and that’s on me as a coach.”
Indiana competed in the third set, tying the score four times. Aird said that game three got away from them in a three-point run where Michigan served better overall.
Edwards made 13 kills against Michigan, and Aird said she was a bright spot in the match. This is the second match Edwards has played really well, he said.
Aird said he needs more consistency from hitters Mady Seris and Morgan Geddes, who both had four kills against Michigan.
“I thought Morgan did pretty well tonight coming in on the right and she had a good stretch,” Aird said. “Mady is just a better ball handler. She didn’t have a particularly good match tonight but she's a kid we’re going to develop as a six rotation outside hitter.”
Graduate student Brooke Westbeld had a lot of court time as setter, rather than freshman setter Camryn Haworth who was unable to play against Minnesota Oct. 17 due to an upper body injury.
“I think we’re a good volleyball team when we play well,” Aird said. “I think it's a great conference and we’re a peg below a lot of people, so we’ve got to scrape and claw and hopefully compete to be in some of these matches.”
Indiana will next face Rutgers at 2 p.m. Sunday at Wilkinson Hall. Indiana beat Rutgers 3-1 earlier this season on Oct. 8.
