Michigan
Northwestern
U-M to Host Northwestern, Illinois in B1G Homestand
11/7/2017 4:11:00 PM | Volleyball
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This Week:
Friday, Nov. 10 -- vs. Northwestern (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats
Saturday, Nov. 11 -- vs. Illinois (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
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• Complete Notes (PDF) | Parking Alert
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (16-10, 6-8 B1G) will return home to Cliff Keen Arena this weekend (Nov. 10-11) to kick off a four-match home stretch. The Wolverines will first face off against Northwestern (13-13, 3-11 B1G) on Friday night (Nov. 10) before playing host to Illinois (18-7, 9-5 B1G) on Saturday evening (Nov. 11). Both matches are slated for a 7 p.m. start and will be streamed live on BTN+ (subscription required).
Scouting the Opposition
Northwestern (13-13, 3-11 B1G)
2016 Finish: 10-22, 3-17 B1G
Led by second-year head coach Shane Davis, the Wildcats are 13-13Â and have three victories in Big Ten action. Despite a losing conference record, Northwestern ranks second in the Big Ten and 21st in the nation with 1.61 service aces per set, and the Wildcats lead the conference with 140 total service aces. Individually, senior outside hitter Symone Abbott leads the conference with 4.27 kills per set and freshman outside hitter Nia Robinson ranks seventh with 3.55 kills per set, while senior setter Taylor Tashima ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 10.99 assists per set.
Illinois (18-7, 9-5 B1G)
2016 Finish: 17-14, 10-10 B1G
Illinois stands at 18-7 overall and 9-5 in the Big Ten, placing them at fifth in the league standings. The Illini lead the Big Ten Conference with 2.97 blocks per set, which ranks 10th in the country. Illinois also ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 13th in the nation with a .282 team hitting percentage. Junior middle blocker Ali Bastianelli leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the country in blocks per set (1.66), while her .394 hitting percentage ranks sixth-best in the conference.
All-Time History
Record vs. Northwestern: U-M leads 44-28
Michigan and Northwestern first met in 1976, with the Wolverines taking the first meeting before the Wildcats took the next five. To date, the Wolverines have dominated the series and have compiled a 13-3 record against the Wildcats since 2008. Coming into the week, Michigan has won the last three meetings between the squads, including sweeping the series in 2016. In the most recent meeting, Abby Cole posted 17 kills at a .519 attack average and Carly Skjodt totaled 11 kills and 15 digs for a double-double.
Record vs. Illinois: U-M trails 25-49
The Wolverines and Illini first met in 1976, and Illinois has owned much of the series since that time, including winning eight of the last 11 matchups. The squads last met last week, when the Illini hosted the Maize and Blue for a primetime showdown in Champaign, Illinois. After going down two sets to none, the Wolverines surged for a comeback and forced a fifth set, which they ultimately lost, 17-15. Three Wolverines totaled double-digit kills in the effort, including 22 from junior outside hitter Carly Skjodt and a season-best 15 from senior opposite hitter Katherine Mahlke. Prior to Saturday's loss, Michigan had won the last two meetings.
Wolverines at Home
Michigan's senior class has posted a 36-13 record at home over the last three seasons and will look to continue their impressive home record this year. Prior to a loss against Minnesota (Oct. 7) which spoiled the Wolverines perfect 8-0 home record, Michigan had only lost three sets when playing at home this season. The Maize and Blue ended its 2016 campaign with a 16-2 home record, and both losses came to teams ranked No. 1 in the AVCA poll at the time.
Michigan Ranked 34th in Latest RPI
The Wolverines are ranked 34th in the latest RPI (released Nov. 7). The Big Ten Conference makes up five of the spots in the top 20, and nine of the top 40 teams. Penn State sits in the No. 1 spot with a 23-1 record. The first RPI of the season was released on Oct. 2, and Michigan was ranked 27th in that edition.
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 (6), Michigan State (8) and Wisconsin (10) all sit inside the top 10, while Purdue (21) rounds out the group. Illinois is the third team out of the Top-25 with 16 votes, while Michigan did not appear on two or more ballots for the second week in a row. Overall, seven of the 14 Big Ten teams are receiving votes in the poll.
Michigan and the AVCA Poll
Following a 1-1 week with a sweep of Iowa and a loss to No. 7-ranked Nebraska to wrap up the month of October, Michigan officially dropped out of the AVCA Poll. 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. 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.
