After sweeping Florida Atlantic the day prior, the Michigan volleyball team entered its match against Marshall on the second day of the Michigan Invitational looking to keep the ball rolling.
From the beginning, the Wolverines exhausted the Herd’s defense by dominating play at the net and relying on quick points from their blockers. Marshall constantly made adjustments and secured points by rotating its players and presenting a unique serve. While the Herd’s (4-2) plays forced Michigan (5-0) to slow down and reposition, the Wolverines ultimately held on and swept 3-0.
“Especially down the stretch, Marshall was really pushing us,” Michigan coach Erin Virtue said. “They pushed us with their serve. We got a little shaky from the passing standpoint, but I like the way that we steadied out.”
The Wolverines were meticulous in the opening points of the match, taking advantage of the Herd’s errors to grab the first three points. Early in the first set, Michigan challenged a play after the ball skimmed past a Marshall blocker before going out of bounds. The call was reversed and the Wolverines clinched their fifth point. Coming off that high, they then cruised through the remainder of the first set, winning it 25-19.
By the second set, the Herd adjusted and while still trailing, began applying more pressure on Michigan.
Marshall returned to the court with a reconfigured plan, as the Wolverines attempted to keep moving forward with the same methods. In the first set, Michigan blockers kept tension off its defense almost entirely, allowing graduate libero Maddi Cuchran to cover the back row by herself. But when the Herd caught on in the second set, this set up began to cost the Wolverines point after point.
Following a timeout, Michigan repositioned to better support Cuchran in the back row and move pressure away from the net. Sophomore blocker Jenna Hanes and junior hitter Lydia Johnson became its primary weapons with four total blocks and a 0.611 hitting percentage, respectively.
While Hanes remained at the net, the additional back row support meant she could set the pace for the Wolverines and frustrate Marshall’s defense. After a steady pass from junior setter Morgan Burke, Hanes spiked for the kill, giving Michigan the lead in the second set. The Wolverines never looked back, taking the set 25-21.
With Hanes dominating at the net, Michigan covered more ground across the middle and back of the court. Comfortable thanks to consistent support, Cuchran consistently drove the ball forward and gave Johnson opportunities to move up for the kill.
“There was one that went off of me and it was super tight to the net,” Cuchran said. “(Johnson) just went up there and put it down. I love to see my hitters being aggressive.”
As the third set began, Marshall made a big change to try to get back into the game, utilizing a new serve that the Wolverines had not yet seen. The Herd setter Maya Hunt served the ball in a nearly straight path over the net, leaving the Michigan defender, often Cuchran, to receive the serve at a higher angle and faster pace than usual. The Wolverines often wasted their first touch on the ball to readjust the angle from the serve, leaving them flustered and trailing behind. Evaluating the issue, Michigan adjusted quickly due to senior blocker Serena Nyambio, who raced across the court to cover Marshall’s erratic serves. The Wolverines won the third set to seal their sweep over the Herd, 25-17.
Although Michigan wasn’t smooth throughout, its ability to reevaluate and make quick shifts carried the Wolverines through the third set. As Marshall’s defense made meaningful attempts to throw Michigan off its rhythm, the Wolverines learned how to vary their positioning and speed to stay dominant and secure a quick victory.
The post Michigan repositions to keep Marshall off balance, sweeps 3-0 on Day 2 of Michigan Invitational appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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