Spikers finish in style, win State Pride flag

The conditions were perfect for Wednesday night's match. It was the Michigan volleyball team's last home match of the season, the largest crowd of the year was in attendance, and hated Michigan State was across the net. And with the "State Pride" banner hanging in the balance, the Wolverines did not disappoint their fans.

Michigan demolished the favored Spartans (9-10 Big Ten, 19-12 overall), taking the match 15-7, 15-5, 15-1 in their first sweep of Michigan State in seven years.

As a follow-up, Michigan disposed of Northwestern (2-17, 4-25) in the same efficient fashion to close out the '99 campaign on Friday night.

Coming off of such a momentous triumph, Michigan's visit to Evanston held the potential for a letdown. But the Wolverines prevented the possibility from becoming a reality. Michigan's three-game win over the Wildcats (15-11, 15-6, 15-9) guaranteed a winning record for the season.

The marks of 7-13 in the Big Ten and 15-14 overall represent an improvement of three wins from last year's records in both categories.

The Wolverines emerged victorious in three of their last four matches to end the season on a high note. But impressive as it was, the Wolverines' defeat of Northwestern paled in comparison to Wednesday's achievements.

By virtue of the sweep at the hands of the Spartans in the team's last meeting, the traditional flag - awarded after comparing each team's overall scores from both of the season's head-to-head matches - appeared to be headed to East Lansing. But on Wednesday night, the season-high 1,146 spectators were treated to Michigan's best match of the year, and an improbable victory in the "State Pride" series was achieved.

Michigan coach Mark Rosen said he was a little dazed just watching such an amazing performance. In stark contrast to the negative hitting percentage recorded at Michigan State in the teams' first matchup, the Wolverines hit an unreal .404 this time.

"We didn't play any defense, and it shows because (Michigan) hit above .400. They were possessed," Michigan State coach Chuck Erbe said. "They did all the things they needed to do: served and passed well, played excellent defense."

Michigan established its dominance early on. Making the last home appearance of her illustrious career, senior captain Maggie Cooper fittingly served the Wolverines to a 4-0 lead to get the action started. And Michigan only got stronger as the match progressed.

"After the first five points, we all knew that the team was really on," Rosen said. "We executed really well, played very disciplined, and that's something every team strives for. Late in the year we're finding it more and more, but this was by far the best example all year long."

"Every single player was on, everyone stepped up," Melka said. "It was awesome, everyone played out of their minds.".

Whether she was firing up her teammates on the sidelines or leaping and pumping her fist high in the air after every point, Cooper's unbridled enthusiasm set a tone for the evening, spreading contagiously on the Michigan side of the court. Katrina Lehman followed her captain's lead, eliciting jubilant screams to celebrate a smash.

As hard as they tried to stay calm, the girls' anxious faces were ready to explode into smiles as the match neared its conclusion. And when a Nicole Kacor kill sealed the affair, they did.

"In athletics you talk about getting into a zone, a flow where everything happens, and it's really hard to master that where you can do it all the time," Rosen said. "Tonight we definitely had it, we were very much in a flow where nothing could go wrong and everything goes your way."

Appropriately, Cooper provided the definitive word. At the end of the post-game press conference, as the reporters filed out, her voice penetrated the relative silence.

"Awesome win tonight!" Cooper yelled, clapping, exciting Cliff Keen Arena visitors for the last time.

Her statement - and the way she said it - summed up a magical evening.

11-29-99