U-M Takes Down Utah Tech, Finishes Opening Weekend 3-0

» Michigan closed out the Lumberjack classic with a perfect 3-0 record after defeating Old Dominion, host Northern Arizona and Utah Tech.

» Kendall Murray had a career-high 21 kills and hit .514 throughout the match.

» Jess Mruzik earned her second double-double of the season behind 14 kills and 10 digs.

Site: Flagstaff, Ariz. (Rolle Activity Center)

Score: Michigan 3, Utah Tech 1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-9)

Records: U-M (3-0), Utah Tech (2-1)

Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 2 — vs. Toledo (Cliff Keen Arena), 12:30 p.m.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The University of Michigan volleyball team (3-0) rallied from a first-set loss to win straight sets and clinch a 3-1 win over Utah Tech on Saturday afternoon (Aug. 27) at the Rolle Activity Center on the campus of Northern Arizona University.

Kendall Murray led all players with 21 kills and finished the match hitting at a .514 clip. Amber Beals and Hannah Grant led the Wolverines in digs with 14 apiece.

In a nailbiter of a first set, Michigan couldn’t keep up with the Trailblazers (2-1) despite eight kills from Murray. The opening set saw seven ties and two lead changes as Utah Tech took a 1-0 lead in the match with a 25-20 first set victory.

U-M quickly got out to a five-point lead in the second set before Utah Tech knotted things up at 12 following a 6-1 run. Neither team maintained a lead from there until a 7-1 scoring run at the hands of Jess Robinson, Jess Mruzik and May Pertofsky pushed the Wolverines past the Trailblazers, 25-20, in set two.

The first 15 points of the third set were a back-and-forth affair. With Grant at the service line, however, Michigan went on a 4-0 scoring run and took an 18-14 lead, forcing the Trailblazers to call timeout. The last six points featured an onslaught of sideouts including a tip kill by Jacque Boney and a slam from Murray to force a 25-20 third-set victory.

It was all Michigan in the final set with Brooke Humphrey and Murray at the service line providing a 7-1 run right out of the gate. On the attacking front, Murray put up five kills while Mruzik recorded four. Mruzik served the Wolverines out in the last six points to help Michigan clinch a 25-9 fourth-set win and take home the match, 3-1.

The Wolverines outhit the Trailblazers over the course of the match, .321 to .135 while finishing with more blocks (4-3), kills (61-37), assists (59-33) and digs (58-49.).

In addition to a match-leading 21 kills from Murray, Mruzik collected 14 kills and Robinson recorded 11 kills. Mruzik also added 10 digs for her second double-double of the season.

Michigan finished the Lumberjack Classic with a perfect 3-0 record. The Wolverines defeated Old Dominion in the season opener on Friday (Aug. 26) and followed the same night with a victory over host Northern Arizona before knocking off Utah Tech in the final match of the tournament.

U-M will host Toledo on Friday (Sept. 2) at 12:30 p.m. in the Wolverines’ home opener. The weekend will feature matches between Michigan, Toledo, Morehead State and Loyola Chicago as part of the Michigan Invitational.