Grant Records 1,000th Career Dig, but Michigan Falls to No. 9 Minnesota

Grant Records 1,000th Career Dig, but Michigan Falls to No. 9 Minnesota

» Hannah Grant reached 1,000 career digs in her 65th match for the Wolverines.

» May Pertofsky led Michigan offensively with 11 kills.

» Grant led all players with 21 digs on the night.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Hannah Grant reached the 1,000-dig milestone on Friday night (Nov. 4), but the University of Michigan volleyball team fell to No.9-ranked Minnesota 21-25, 20-25, 22-25 at Maturi Pavilion.

Grant’s accomplishment came courtesy of a 21-dig performance in her 65th match in the maize and blue.

May Pertofsky led the Wolverines offensively with 11 kills. Maddie Dowd paced Michigan in assists with 16, while Scottee Johnson chipped in 12.

It was back and forth throughout the first half of the first set until Michigan pulled out to a three-point lead at 12-9 behind a balanced offensive attack. The Gophers regained the lead later in the set with a 9-2 run to pull ahead 18-14 and never looked back, taking the first set 25-21.

Minnesota got out to a quick start in the second stanza, pulling to a 9-5 lead until Jess Mruzik stopped the run with a kill down the line from Allison Jacobs. The Gophers went on another run, taking a 15-8 lead. A kill from Pertofsky and two aces from Johnson pulled U-M within three points. After a Minnesota service error, Jacque Boney slammed the ball down off of a cross-court slide and Michigan took advantage of two Gopher errors to come within one at 17-16. The Gophers took seven of the last 10 points to take set two 25-20.

Mruzik opened the third set for the Wolverines with a kill down the line to give Michigan the first point of the set. Pertofsky and Mruzik each nabbed a kill to pull Michigan to a 3-0 lead. The Gophers earned their first lead of the third set at 7-6 before strong defense from U-M tied it up at 7. U-M took a 13-10 lead after a Dowd dump right over the block. The Gophers fought back, going on a 5-0 run to regain the lead at 16-14. A service ace from Kendall Murray tied it at 17, then a kill from Mruzik tied it up again at 20. Minnesota went on to score five of the last seven points to win set three 25-22 and the match 3-0.

Mruzik recorded nine kills, while Boney chipped in seven. Mruzik and Johnson…