Dec. 7, 2012

POST-MATCH QUOTES - MICHIGAN

HEAD COACH MARK ROSEN
General Comments:
"I'm extremely proud of how our team played tonight. One of the things we talk a lot about in the post season is just advancing, that's the goal each round; we just want to continue to advance. I thought we came out in the first set and just played lights out. I thought the players did a great job of the game plan I thought they were very prepared for what Michigan State was going to do. Michigan State made some adjustments, they served a lot tougher in the second set and got us out of system a little bit and some of the things they wanted to do on defense started working for them. I love how our team competed, though it wasn't necessarily our prettiest game, but it was effective, it was enough. Then third game, it was the same thing it was tight all of us coaches and players alike because it's a pretty heightened experience. I think they did a good job of calming each other down in the moment and finding ways of grinding it out. Just very proud of how they played mentally as well as physically."

On Michigan State taking certain players out of the game
"When they take something away, something else opens. One of our biggest goals throughout the year is being balanced so when someone has an off night or the other team decides they want to take a person out then we can adjust and go exploit that somewhere else. I thought Lexi [Dannemiller] did a great job of doing that tonight especially in the first set. When they started serving tougher it made it harder to do that, but again I thought our players did a great job of finding ways to adjust to that exploit what they were doing."

On going on a run after timeouts
"The players did a great job coming out of those timeouts. A lot of times those timeouts just allow you to regain yourself a little bit, refocus and just go out there and play. I really think it's not as much as the adjustments that are being made, but just the players letting themselves play. We had the last move of that in that game."

On the defensive side of the ball
"We played some great defense. I thought our defensive players, as well as our blockers did a great job tonight. I haven't seen a box score yet but I'fm sure we were up nine-to-five after the second set [on blocks]. We did a great job out of the back court. They have some bangers and the ones that they did kill I really like how we responded. I know we sided out at 63% which a good number for us, but we point scored at 48 which is a really good number for us. We did a good job on both sides of the ball."

JUNIOR MIDDLE BLOCKER JENNIFER CROSS
On playing against Michigan State's commit blocking style
"They are a commit blocking team so for us it's a lot about exploiting their commit blocking. This is the third time we've played them and we've played some other commit blocking teams so at this point in the season we have a system that is working."

On advancing on
"We're really excited. This is a very special team. We really, really, get along and this is something we'll always remember. We're not done, we have one more game to get to the Final Four and then well go from there. I think we've always believed it on our team, in our locker room, and in our gym. We've always believed that we are this type of caliber team. Throughout the season you go through ups and downs and you don't always play the way you want to, but we are peaking at the right time. That's the goal throughout the season. You have to go through some things you wish you didn't have to go through but were peaking at the right time. We've always believed it but now everyone is realizing it now too."

JUNIOR OUTSIDE HITTER LEXI ERWIN
On being able to produce in the third set
"I think Jenn [Cross] did a really good job of exploiting that commit block and they started to exploit Jenn more in that commit block in the third set so it left me open. [Lexi] Dannemiller did a really great job of holding them and being a threat herself so I had a lot of time where the middle was late or there was not even a middle so it helped a lot."

POST-MATCH QUOTES - MICHIGAN STATE

HEAD COACH CATHY GEORGE
General Comments:
"Tough night tonight. Michigan played very, very well. We gave it a good shot. We kept coming back, but it wasn't our night tonight. Good luck to them. It was tough. We had a great year. We had a great run. I'm very proud of my team. I know that they fought hard and we put a lot of time and effort and energy into the entire year. A lot of people considered us underdogs. They didn't know if we would come together like this this year. I'm just proud with all the new players we have out there on the floor and the way we worked together and the chemistry that pulled us together. I think we made great strides. It's not easy to lose this one and it's not easy to talk about that. But we will continue to build and we will get stronger."

On Michigan:
"Michigan has a great deal of experience and they have veteran players that went to the Sweet Sixteen last year. They have one new player on the floor for them. You could see that experience. I thought they did a really nice job. We didn't play with that experience. We didn't pull it together at those times. They just knew each other extremely well and really came through at the key points. We put ourselves in position in Games 2 and 3 to win, but they had an answer and were able to close out those close games."

On the Spartans' NCAA run:
"It was very exciting to go to UCLA and come away with those victories, especially with UCLA being the type of team that they were. Coming here, we had a new agenda, and that was Michigan. They do know us and we know them. Obviously, we're both talented. We split with them this year. It was almost as if we had identical records in different places, but yet the same. We both build ourselves on balance. We've done that throughout the year. They just have experience. We return all but one starter next year. We have to add our new players and build on that and shore up some of our weaknesses and try to get stronger for the future. I'm sure that will them hungry. If it's not, I'm going to beat it into them."

JUNIOR SETTER KRISTEN KELSAY
On playing Michigan:
"They know us very well and we know them very well, so I think it is very difficult. I give them a lot of credit. They came out very, very fast. We just tried to put it together and one step at a time. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way."

On surpassing expectations:
"We've been the underdog all year. That's something we took pride in. We weren't ranked. We weren't anything. We said we are going to show them. We are going to play our volleyball. We talk a lot about chemistry with this team. I think it was a very special team. I know in my heart. To do what we did, it's tough talking about this tonight after the tough lsos. But I think you have to be proud of the season and what you accomplished, especially when people didn't think you wre going to do that. Even though it's tough right now, it's a stepping stone for this program."

JUNIOR OUTSIDE HITTER LAUREN WICINSKI
On playing Michigan in California:
"It was interesting. I think it shows the depth of the Big Ten. It's one of the biggest rivalries in college coming and meeting in California. We knew it was going to be a battle. They came out really, really hot and we were kind of all over the place. We settled down. We fought games two and three. It's tough when you fight and it doesn't go your way."

On being motivated by the loss:
"We don't want to ever have this feeling again. It's going to motivate us and push us for the spring and we're going to come back. I'm telling you right now. We're not going to let this happen again."