Michigan
Colorado State
Michigan to Face Colorado State in NCAA First Round
11/27/2017 4:27:00 PM | Volleyball
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This Week
Friday, Dec. 2 -- vs. No. 23 Colorado State - NCAA First Round (Palo Alto, Calif.), 4:30 p.m. PST
Watch | Live Stats
Saturday, Dec. 3 -- NCAA Second Round (Palo Alto, Calif.) 6 p.m. PST
• Complete Notes (PDF) | NCAA Bracket
• Listen: Coach Mark Rosen interview on WTKA
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (21-11) received an at-large berth in the 2017 NCAA Division I Championship and will face Colorado State in the first round Friday (Dec. 1) at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, California. The match will start at 4:30 p.m. PST (7:30 p.m. EST) on the campus of Stanford.
NCAA History
The Wolverines are making their 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years and their 17th overall. The NCAA berth is Michigan's 16th under head coach Mark Rosen. Through 17 postseason appearances, the Wolverines have posted a 21-16 overall record in NCAA matches.
The Big Ten and the Postseason
The Big Ten Conference received eight bids to the NCAA Tournament, including a top seed by Penn State. Nebraska (5) and Minnesota (7) are also seeded in the top 16 and will host the first and second rounds. Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin all received at-large bids; Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan are all positioned in the Stanford quadrant. The eight bids mark the 25th time in as many years that at least six Big Ten volleyball teams have been selected for the tournament.
Skjodt, Kieffer-Wright Earn All-Big Ten Honors
Junior Carly Skjodt was selected to the 2017 All-Big Ten Conference First Team, and senior Claire Kieffer-Wright received an All-Big Ten honorable mention, it was announced by the Big Ten Conference office on Tuesday (Nov. 28). Junior Maddy Abbott also earned postseason accolades as Michigan's Sportsmanship Award winner. [Release]
The Streak is Alive
Michigan ended the regular season on a five-match win streak, including three straight wins over top-25 opponents for the first time in program history. Three of the five victories came at home, including a sweep of then-No. 8-ranked Michigan State, and two came on the road, at then-No. 16-ranked Purdue and at Indiana in the final contest of the regular season.
Michigan under Mark Rosen
The 2017 volleyball campaign marks the program's 45th season and 19th under coach Mark Rosen. In his time with the Maize and Blue, Rosen has compiled a 384-243 record and has guided Michigan to 16 of its 17 NCAA postseason appearances. Rosen is the winningest coach in program history.
Team 45
The 2017 season marks the Wolverines' 45th season of volleyball. Michigan has an all-time Division I record of 741-653-5 heading into its 17th postseason appearance. The Maize and Blue has totaled 17 NCAA appearances since the program's inception in 1973, including six berths to the NCAA Sweet 16, an Elite Eight run in 2009, and a trip to the Final Four in 2012.
Michigan and the AVCA Poll
The Wolverines were recognized in the AVCA poll for the second straight week after not appearing in the poll since Week 10. With 58 votes, Michigan is the first team out of the top 25. The Wolverines began the season ranked 16th in the preseason poll and appeared in the poll for the first seven editions before receiving votes in the next three editions before dropping out completely in Week 11. 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.
Skjodt Leads the Way
Junior outside hitter Carly Skjodt has been instrumental in the Wolverines' success this season. The six-rotation player leads Michigan with 3.65 kills per set and has posted 23 double-digit kill efforts this season alone. The Carmel, Indiana, native also ranks second on the team with 2.26 digs per set and has posted seven double-doubles this year. She was named a Big Ten Player of the Week twice and Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week once during the 2017 regular season.
Scouting the Opposition
Colorado State (28-3)
2016 Finish: NCAA First Round
The Rams are making their 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after winning their 14th Mountain West Conference title and clinching the league's only bid. The Rams have competed in the NCAA Tournament every season since 1995 and 28 times overall. Redshirt freshman Breana Runnels leads the CSU offense with 3.21 kills per set, while sophomore Paulina Hougaard-Jensen owns a .473 attack percentage from her middle blocker position. The Rams finished first in the Mountain West with a 17-1 record while dropping just eights sets and sweeping 14 conference foes.
Series History
Record vs. Colorado State: U-M leads, 2-1
Michigan and Colorado State faced each other earlier during the 2017 regular season, with the Rams taking the match in a 3-0 fashion during a non-conference tournament at Colorado State's home court (Sept. 8). Senior middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright led Michigan with 12 kills. Overall, Michigan has defeated Colorado State in two of the teams' three meetings. The teams have faced each other just once before in the NCAA Tournament, and Michigan swept CSU in that 2007 meeting to advance to its first Sweet 16.
