On the surface, the Michigan volleyball team’s matching 11 service errors and 11 aces implies the Wolverines had a turbulent day of serving Sunday against Southern Indiana. And while there’s some truth to this belief, it isn’t the whole story.
Michigan’s aggressive serving strategy leads to a high number of service errors in exchange for many aces. While this strategy can lead the Wolverines to dominate certain parts of games, it also allows for stretches of trouble. After losing the third set in one such stretch, Michigan composed itself and its serving, leading to its 3-1 victory over the Screaming Eagles.
“As far as urgency for serving, we talk a lot about putting a good amount of pressure on that passer,” Wolverines sophomore outside hitter Ella Demetrician said. “That was something we had to flip the switch. Let’s still be aggressive and put that ball deep, but do our best to make it in.”
Assertive serving by Michigan led to a dominant first set. While four different Wolverines made service errors, they also picked up four aces. Graduate libero Maddi Cuchran was particularly impressive, with two aces and no service errors. These aces compensated for Michigan’s multiple service errors, forcing Southern Indiana to lose control of its system even when serves didn’t result in aces.
The second set mirrored the first, though the Wolverines’ serving wavered slightly. With four more service errors against just three aces, Michigan’s margin of victory narrowed, taking the set 25-16.
In the next set, the Wolverines continued to lose focus on their serves. With Michigan down 8-4, it squandered a chance to close the gap, committing another service error. These self-inflicted wounds plagued the Wolverines for the rest of the set, as the Screaming Eagles capitalized on missed serves, allowing Southern Indiana to win the third set, 25-21.
At this point, it looked like the Wolverines needed to make a conscious adjustment to their aggressive serving strategy. Instead, Michigan remained faithful to its approach.
“It’s just a natural part of the game,” Wolverines assistant coach Nick Clark said. “The one thing we did do well was continue the pressure throughout the match. Sometimes those fall, sometimes they don’t.”
In turn, Michigan re-found its groove with its strong, deliberate serves. A total of three aces to only one service error fueled a runaway fourth set, as the Wolverines looked as dominant as they were in the first set.
Junior setter Morgan Burke epitomized Michigan’s relentless confidence and aggression at the service line. She totaled six aces, doubling her career high, while tallying just two service errors. She delivered back-to-back aces in the second set to reach set point before closing it out, added another in the third despite the team’s struggles and bounced back in the fourth with consecutive aces followed by a third immediately after an opponent’s attack error.
“Especially in that last set, Morgan Burke had a nice run,” Clark said. “A couple aces in her last run to put the icing on the cake. It’s the ebb and flow of the match.”
By sticking to their aggressive serving mindset after a poor third set, the Wolverines showed that adversity won’t shake their confidence. Unrelenting faith in the process is indispensable for any team looking to compete at the highest level, and Michigan had that in droves Sunday.
The post Michigan stays confident in service play after struggling in Southern Indiana victory appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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