Michigan
Illinois
Michigan Hits the Road for Illinois Match on BTN
11/2/2017 2:26:00 PM | Volleyball
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This Week
Saturday, Nov. 4 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 7:30 p.m. CDT
TV: Big Ten Network | BTN2Go | Live Stats
• Complete Notes (PDF)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Following a three-match home swing in which the Wolverines captured victories over Iowa and Rutgers, the University of Michigan volleyball team (16-9, 6-7 B1G) will head back out on the road this weekend for a single contest at Illinois (17-7, 8-5 B1G) in Champaign, Illinois. The teams will battle it out on Saturday night (Nov. 4) at 7:30 p.m. CDT, and fans can watch the match live on the Big Ten Network.
Last Time Out
Michigan executed a season sweep of Rutgers on Wednesday night (Nov. 1), defeating the Scarlet Knights in straight sets (25-15, 25-19, 25-14) inside Cliff Keen Arena. The win gave Michigan a 5-0 record in the all-time series against Rutgers and improved the Wolverines' home record to 10-2 on the season. [ Recap ]
Scouting the Opposition
Illinois (17-7, 8-5 B1G)
2016 Finish: 17-14, 10-10 B1G
Illinois stands at 17-7 overall and 8-5 in the Big Ten, placing them fifth in the league standings. Even with a balanced attack from sophomore outside hitter Jacqueline Quade, the Illini fell to top-ranked Penn State 3-0 (30-28, 25-11, 25-15) on Saturday night (Oct. 28). Since the injury of senior Brandi Donnelly, junior setter Jordyn Poulter has stepped up big time, notching her seventh double-double of the season with 49 assists and 12 digs against the Nittany Lions. Poulter ranks tied for sixth in assists in the conference with 10.99 per set. Illinois leads the Big Ten in blocks per set (3.00), with junior middle blocker Ali Bastianelli pacing the conference at 1.72/set.
All-Time History
Record vs. Illinois: U-M trails 25-48
Since meeting for the first time in 1976, the Illini have owned much of the series, including winning seven of the last 10 matchups. However, the Wolverines have won the past two meetings on Nov. 27, 2015 and Nov. 4, 2016, and both wins came by a 3-1 score. During the 2016 outing, Kelly Murphy led the charge for the Wolverines with 15 kills, while Carly Skjodt picked up 13, and Claire Kieffer-Wright added 12 at a .308 clip. The Illini bested the Wolverines with a .221 hitting percentage to U-M's .186 clip while also out-blocking Michigan, 10-12.
Michigan on the Road
Despite three neutral-site victories in the non-conference portion of the season, the Wolverines have picked up just three road victories this year with their only Big Ten road wins coming at Rutgers and Ohio State. Michigan's first road win came at Loyola Marymount in the first non-conference tournament of the season. Besides a loss to Iowa (Oct. 4), all of the Wolverines' road losses have come to teams recognized in the AVCA poll at the time.
Win Streak Snapped
With a loss to No. 7-ranked Nebraska on Sunday (Oct. 29), the Wolverines saw a two-match win streak snapped. So far this season, Michigan has been unable to string together a win streak longer than four matches, and both four-game win streaks came during the non-conference portion of the season. Michigan will look to extend its win streak to two with a win over Illinois after defeating Rutgers on Wednesday (Nov. 1).
Michigan Drops out of the AVCA Poll
Following a 1-1 week with a sweep of Iowa and a loss to No. 7-ranked Nebraska, Michigan dropped out of the AVCA poll this week for the first time this season. The Wolverines began the season ranked 16th in the preseason poll and appeared in the poll for the first seven editions before receiving votes for three weeks. Michigan finished the 2016 campaign ranked No. 12 and captured multiple victories over ranked opponents, including home wins over Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State and Oregon.
The Big Ten and the AVCA Poll
The Big Ten Conference has six teams represented in the AVCA Top 25 this week. Penn State (1), Minnesota (5), Nebraska (7), Wisconsin (8) and Michigan State (9) all currently sit inside the top 10, while Purdue (22) rounds out the group. Illinois is the third team out of the Top 25 with 20 points, while Michigan did not appear on two or more ballots this week. Overall, seven of the 14 Big Ten teams are receiving votes in the poll.
Week Eleven
This week will mark the first time since the end of September that Michigan will not face a ranked opponent, as the Wolverines faced an opponent ranked in the AVCA Top 25 every week during the month of October. The last time Michigan did not face a ranked opponent during the week, the Wolverines defeated both Ohio State (Sept. 29) and Maryland (Sept. 30).
Stat Stories: Hitting Percentage
Michigan's offense had both highs and lows last week, mostly in terms of efficiency. The Wolverines swept Iowa (Oct. 27) behind a .465 attacking percentage, which marked the highest average of the season. Michigan also recorded a season-low eight errors in the effort. Just two days later, however, the Maize and Blue fell to No. 7 Nebraska in straight sets and finished with a season-low .046 hitting percentage.
