associated press: Michigan volleyball team loses five set heartbreaker to Texas in Final Four

Junior outside hitter Lexi Erwin had 26 kills and a career-high 87 attempts for unseeded Michigan (27-12), which was appearing in its first Final Four. Senior captain Claire McElheny added 15 kills and had a .419 hitting percentage.

Texas dominated in the first set 25-11, but Michigan quickly got its act together.

"It could've gone a negative direction and I thought our team did a great job of pulling through and competing extremely well," said Michigan coach Mark Rosen, calling Texas the most athletic team his squad has faced this season.

Unfazed, Michigan improved its attack and won the next two sets 25-21, 25-35 with several small scoring spurts that provided a cushion against Texas. Erwin keyed the Wolverines' rebound with seven points including a kill in the back left corner that made it 22-20, following with a crosscourt kill for a three-point edge en route to a 25-21 win.

Erwin's third set was even better as she exploited a hole in Texas' middle for many of her nine kills. Her last one sealed the 25-23 win, a crosscourt hit that squashed the Longhorns' attempt to tie the set following a small rally.

"We kind of were like, they have a '3' before their name and we don't," Erwin said. "We just kind of played loose."

Unfortunately for Michigan, Texas regained its form in the fourth set, winning 25-12, before putting Michigan away.

Texas (28-4) took a 4-0 lead in the final set before Michigan (27-12) tied it at 8. After a timeout, the Longhorns won three straight points and held off the Wolverines.

"The fans got their money's worth. What a battle," Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said.

"I've been saying it, that we're good in the crunch. You never see them give up. Even though we give up games, you can just see that they stay in their routine and just battle."

Sarah Palmer had a career-high 31 digs for the Longhorns, 3-0 lifetime against the Wolverines.

Texas entered the semifinals having won 21 of 22 matches since a 6-3 start that included a loss to Penn State. That roll earned the Longhorns their fourth Final Four berth in the past five years with bigger goals of winning their first title since 1988 and closing the deal after blowing a 2-0 lead and losing to Penn State in the 2009 final.

Bailey Webster had 18 kills and Haley Eckerman added 16 to lead Texas.

Michigan's loss ended a resilient run to its first Final Four, one that included overcoming several losing streaks before turning things around late in the season. The Wolverines definitely had found their groove over the past month, beating conference rival Michigan State twice and upending Stanford in the Berkeley Regional final.