Michigan to Wrap Homestand with Purdue, Indiana

THIS WEEK
Friday, Oct. 5 -- vs. Purdue (Cliff Keen Arena), 9 p.m.
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Saturday, Oct. 6 -- vs. Indiana (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team (13-2) will wrap up a four-match homestand this weekend (Oct. 5-6) with a contest against No. 14-ranked Purdue on Friday (Oct. 5) at 9 p.m., followed by a match against Indiana on Saturday (Oct. 6) at 7 p.m. Both matches will be played inside Cliff Keen Arena, and Friday's match can be seen live on Big Ten Network.

Wolverines at Home

Michigan's senior class has posted a 49-11 record at home since the trio stepped foot on campus in the fall of 2015, and will look to maintain an edge at home once again this year. With Michigan's only home loss coming against No. 9-ranked Penn State last weekend (Sept. 30), the Wolverines are 9-1 when playing at home this season.

Big Ten Schedule

Michigan boasts a 2-2 Big Ten record through the first two weeks of conference play, with both losses coming to teams ranked in the top 10 in the AVCA. The Wolverines suffered their first loss of the season at then-No. 3 Nebraska (Sept. 21), but picked up wins over Iowa (Sept. 23) and Rutgers (Sept. 28) before U-M's second loss of the year to No. 9 Penn State (Sept. 30).

First RPI Ranking Announced

The NCAA announced the first edition of the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) on Monday (Oct. 1), with Michigan at No. 11. The Wolverines are ranked the fourth highest in the Big Ten, behind Illinois (No. 3), Nebraska (No. 8) and Wisconsin (No. 9). The Big Ten Conference leads the way with 10 teams ranked in the top 50.

How Michigan Stacks Up

Going into the weekend, the Wolverines rank No. 8 in the nation in kills per set (14.56) and No. 6 in assists per set (13.73). Michigan also ranks fifth in the country and second in the Big Ten Conference with a .144 opponent hitting percentage.

Skjodt Named Candidate for Senior CLASS Award

Senior outside hitter Carly Skjodt was named a Senior CLASS Award candidate for the sport of volleyball on Monday (Oct. 2) for her achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition. From the list of 30 candidates, a committee will select 10 finalists; Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote.

The Defensive Difference

Senior libero Jenna Lerg has been a force in the back row for the Wolverines this year, posting 13 matches with double-figure digs and averaging 5.42 digs per set to rank 18th in the country. Michigan also has had four players earn kill-dig or assist-dig double-doubles this season, including freshman Paige Jones, junior MacKenzi Welsh, junior Sydney Wetterstrom and Carly Skjodt.

Scouting the Opposition

Purdue Boilermakers
All-time series against: U-M trails 26-49
Much like Michigan, Purdue started the season on an 11-0 run before dropping its first match of the Big Ten season. Armed with a 13-2 record overall, both of the Boilermakers' losses have come against teams ranked in the top 10 by the AVCA. Purdue ranks No. 20 in the nation for service aces per set and No. 28 in blocks per set. Additionally, redshirt senior Sherridan Atkinson leads the Big Ten with 4.25 kills per set.

Indiana Hoosiers
All-time series against: U-M leads 40-37-1
Under first-year head coach Steve Aird, the Hoosiers will enter the week with an 11-4 record overall and a 2-2 record in the Big Ten before facing Michigan State on Friday (Oct. 5) and making the trek to Ann Arbor for Saturday's match (Oct. 6). With wins over Ohio State and Northwestern, Indiana's losses in conference action came at the hands of two top-10 teams: Illinois and Minnesota. Junior middle blocker Deyshia Lofton leads the Hoosier offense and ranks 24th in the nation as well as fifth in the Big Ten with a .389 hitting percentage.

Michigan and the AVCA Poll

Despite a loss to No. 9-ranked Penn State on Sunday (Sept. 30), the Wolverines jumped one spot in the AVCA Top-25 Coaches Poll this week and are ranked No. 16 with 616 votes. Michigan began the year as the second team outside of the top-25 preseason poll with 153 votes, but entered the poll at No. 23 following a 2-0 showing at the War Eagle Invitational to kick off the season.

11-0 Through Non-Conference

The Wolverines entered Big Ten action with an 11-0 record through non-conference play. The win streak marked a program best since 2011, when Michigan won 13 matches to start the season. Additionally, the first 10 wins to start the season came via sweep, which set a new program record.