Michigan
Wisconsin
Michigan Returns Home for Wisconsin, Minnesota Crisler Dates
10/23/2018 1:41:00 PM | Volleyball
THIS WEEK
Friday, Oct. 26 -- vs. #7 Wisconsin (Crisler Center), 8 p.m.
Live Stats | TV: Big Ten Network
Saturday, Oct. 27 -- vs. #3 Minnesota (Crisler Center), 7 p.m.
Live Stats | BTN Plus
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team (18-3, 7-3 B1G) will return home to Crisler Center this weekend to host a pair of top-10 opponents in No. 7-ranked Wisconsin and No. 3-ranked Minnesota. The Wolverines will take on the Badgers on Friday (Oct. 26) in an 8 p.m. contest on Big Ten Network and will wrap up the weekend with a 7 p.m. match against the Golden Gophers on Saturday (Oct. 27).
Big Ten Schedule
Michigan sits in a three-way tie for third place with No. 6-ranked Illinois and No. 7-ranked Wisconsin in the Big Ten with a 7-3 record. All three of Michigan's losses to date have come in Big Ten action.
U-M Ranked 11th in Latest RPI
Following a 1-1 weekend with a loss to then-No. 7 Illinois, the Wolverines dropped one spot to No. 11 in the latest RPI ranking, which was released by the NCAA on Monday (Oct. 22). Michigan is ranked the fourth-highest of the Big Ten schools, behind Illinois (No. 3), Minnesota (7), and Wisconsin (8). Seven Big Ten schools rank in the top-16. The NCAA announced the first edition of the RPI Oct. 1, with the Wolverines coming in at No. 11.
How Michigan Stacks Up
The Wolverines rank No. 17 in the country in kills per set (14.10) and No. 14 in assists per set (13.27). Michigan also ranks 21st in the nation and third in the Big Ten Conference with a .157 opponent hitting percentage.
Wolverine Stat Spotlight
Defensively, senior libero Jenna Lerg leads the Big Ten Conference and ranks 31st in the nation with 5.16 digs per set. On offense, junior setter MacKenzi Welsh ranks 25th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten with 11.08 assists per set, while senior outside hitter Carly Skjodt's 4.14 kills per set rank third in the conference and 36th in the nation.
Freshman Bair Steps Up
With an injury sidelining Michigan's biggest blocker, redshirt junior Cori Crocker, freshman Kayla Bair has stepped in alongside sophomore Kiara Shannon to share the blocking duties. Since moving into the regular lineup against against Purdue (Oct. 5) and making her first start against Indiana (Oct. 6), Bair has logged 20 total blocks. She also posted a career-high kill effort in a five-set win over Indiana (Oct. 6) and led the Wolverines with a career-high six blocks last week in a sweep of Northwestern (Oct. 20).
Michigan and the AVCA Coaches Poll
Following a heartbreaking five set-loss at then-No. 7-ranked Illinois (Oct. 19) and a win at Northwestern (Oct. 20) last weekend, the Wolverines' jumped one spot in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top-25 ranking this week to check in at No. 12 with 837 points. 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.
Maize and Blue at Home
Michigan's senior class has posted a 51-11 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 (Sept. 30), the Wolverines are 11-1 when playing in Ann Arbor this season.
Crisler Center
The Wolverines are set to host a record five opponents inside Crisler Center this season. Michigan has already hosted Notre Dame (Sept. 14) and Penn State (Sept. 30), will welcome Wisconsin (Oct. 26), and Minnesota (Oct. 27) this weekend and will face Michigan State on Nov. 24. Michigan broke its attendance record last season with a crowd of 8,137 inside Crisler as the Wolverines defeated rival Ohio State in their Big Ten home opener.
Scouting the Opposition
Wisconsin Badgers
All-time series against: U-M trails, 20-57
Following wins over then-No. 5 Nebraska and Iowa last weekend, Wisconsin rose in the AVCA rankings this week to No. 7. Statistically, the Badgers rank 10th in the nation with a .284 team hitting percentage and 13th with 13.48 assists per set. Wisconsin's Dana Rettke leads the Big Ten with a .419 hitting percentage and 1.57 blocks per set.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
All-time series against: U-M trails 16-51
No. 3-ranked Minnesota also picked up wins over then-No. 5 Nebraska and Iowa last weekend, and the Golden Gophers are the lone unbeaten team in Big Ten play with a perfect 10-0 record. Minnesota ranks fourth in the nation in hitting percentage (.299), third in kills per set (15.15), and fourth in assists per set (13.93). In addition to their offensive prowess, the Golden Gophers lead the Big Ten Conference with 16.14 digs per set.
Up Next
Wed., Oct. 31 – at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 7 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 4 – at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 1 p.m. CST
