Sept. 10, 2005
Final Stats
Ann Arbor, Mich. -
Kari Staehlin had 19 kills and five blocks to lead Illinois State, but the Redbirds still fell short in four games, losing to Michigan 30-28, 26-30, 31-29, 30-25 in the final match of the Nike/Pepsi Invitational Saturday at Cliff Keen Arena.
Staehlin, who had 56 kills in 11 games for the tournament and hit better than .500 was joined by Savannah Knowles on the all-tournament team, which featured three MU players, including MVP Katie Bruzdzinski, who had 12 kills, and Lyndsay Miller, who had 16 kills and 11 blocks against the Redbirds.
The Redbirds, 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the tournament, finished third in the four-team affair but the match with Michigan, which has made three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, was closer than the score appeared.
Michigan, 3-3, took a 24-21 lead in game one before a Knowles kill and back-to-back aces by freshman Mary Catherine Richmond got the Redbirds even. The teams traded points until Lyndsay Miller put Michigan ahead 28-27 and Redbird coach Sharon Dingman called time out.
Richmond got a good swing after the ensuing serve. It landed just long and Michigan held on for the two-point win. The Redbirds collected their wits for a 7-2 start in game two, but the Wolverines answered with a 6-0 run. The teams traded points until an MU service error, a Kelly Waterstraat dig kill and a Knowles slam on an overpass to put ISU ahead 16-13.
It was 20-17 ISU when Emily Kabbes drilled back-to-back kills, Erin Lindsey hammered a service ace. Laura Doornbos drilled the hardest kill of the game cross court before Richmond and Kabbes scored a double block and ISU had a 5-0 run and a 25-17 lead. MU got within 27-25, but, this time, Richmond found the floor with a kill after a time out as the `Birds evened the match at 1-1.
Game three was a classic. The 12th tie of the game was at 29-29, but ISU lost the next point on a four-hits contact call and Michigan took a 2-1 lead in games. Staehlin had eight kills in that game and ISU had 21 as a team in game three. In game four, Michigan took advantage of four early Redbird service errors and held off two late Redbird charges.
Doornbos had 18 kills, Knowles added 14 and 11 digs, while Richmond had a career-high 12 kills. Ashley Grubb led ISU with 21 digs and Lindsay had a career-high 65 set assists on 73 Redbird kills.
Staehlin impressed Redbird coach Sharon Dingman as she led the tournament in kills.
"Kari played for (Michigan coach) Mark Rosen on her trip to Argentina in the summer," said Dingman. "She was motivated to play against Michigan and I think it's a part of the maturing process for Kari."
Dingman was disappointed with the loss, but felt her team made progress.
"It stings to lose those kinds of games (game one and game three) and this one will sting for a while," said Dingman. "But I'm proud of how we played and competed. Michigan is a really good team and we just fell a little short."
Just after Notre Dame upended Michigan in the football game played just across a couple of parking lots from Cliff Keen Arena, Youngstown State advanced to 2-1 in the tournament by beating Akron in three games.
The Redbirds open the 2005 Missouri Valley Conference season with a weekend road trip: Friday at defending champion and preseason favorite Wichita State, and Saturday at preseason poll No. 2 choice Missouri State.
