Season Review: 2018 Michigan Volleyball
12/21/2018 12:18:00 PM | Volleyball
Team Captains: Maddy Abbott, Jenna Lerg, Carly Skjodt
Record: 24-10, 11-9 Big Ten (7th place)
NCAA Tournament: Round of 16
The University of Michigan volleyball program ended an impressive 2018 season with its seventh NCAA Tournament regional semifinal appearance and its 13th 20-win campaign in program history. Led by 20-year head coach Mark Rosen and All-Americans Carly Skjodt and Jenna Lerg, the Wolverines posted a 24-10 record overall as they made their 12th NCAA Tournament in the last 13 years and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time since 2016.
Team Highlights
• The Maize and Blue jumped into Big Ten Conference action with a perfect 11-0 record through non-conference play. The 11-match win streak marked the longest since 2011, when Michigan won 13 matches to start that season. Ten of Michigan's 11 wins to begin the 2018 campaign came via sweep, which set a new program record.
• The 2018 season saw Michigan reach the 20-win mark for the fourth straight season and the 13th under Rosen, who captured his 600th career win with a victory over Oakland (Sept. 7). Rosen also picked up his 400th win as Michigan's head coach with a thrilling five-set win at Ohio State (Oct. 12).
• Following a 22-9 regular season that included a seventh-place Big Ten finish, the Wolverines made their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 years (18th overall). The NCAA berth marked Michigan's 17th under Rosen, and all seven of Michigan's Sweet 16 appearances have come during that time.
• Michigan hosted a record five matches in Crisler Center during the 2018 season, including non-conference rival Notre Dame and Big Ten foes Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan State. The average attendance for those matches was 3,900, with two matches drawing more than 5,000.
• Driven by its team success, Michigan wrapped up its 46th season with a record-breaking individual awards. In addition to two All-America honors and three All-Region selections, the Wolverines placed three student-athletes on All-Big Ten teams and had nine Big Ten weekly awards earned during the regular season. The program also excelled in the classroom, placing three on the CoSIDA Academic All-District list and totaling eight Academic All-Big Ten selections.
Individual Highlights
• Senior outside hitter Carly Skjodt wrapped up a record-breaking career with numerous postseason honors, including her second-straight All-America recognition. The team co-captain led the Wolverines in multiple statistical categories during the 2018 campaign, and finished a dominant final season ranking seventh all-time in Michigan's record books with 1,395 career kills. She finished the 2018 season with 29 double-figure kill performances as well as seven 20-plus kill efforts, and capped off the season with an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America second team selection along with a unanimous All-Big Ten Conference first team selection.
• Senior libero Jenna Lerg was a force in the back row during her final season with the Maize and Blue, posting 594 digs on the year to rank third in program history for digs in a single season. A team co-captain, she led Michigan and finished second in the Big Ten with 4.87 digs per set thanks to 29 double-figure dig efforts and 11 20-plus dig performances. She was named an AVCA All-America honorable mention after earning her first AVCA All-North Region and All-Big Ten Conference second team selections.
• In her debut season at Michigan, freshman Paige Jones made a splash at the outside hitter position as she started all 34 matches for the Wolverines. The New Bremen, Ohio, native posted 21 double-figure kill efforts and seven kill-dig double-doubles and led Michigan with 39 service aces on the year, while also finishing second on the team with 3.35 kills per set. She was named to the Big Ten freshman team and was an AVCA All-North Region honorable mention.
• Setter MacKenzi Welsh continued to guide an impressive Michigan offense during her junior season, which featured the second trip to the NCAA Round of 16 of her tenure. She finished sixth in the Big Ten with 1,268 assists at 10.66 assists per set, and now ranks sixth all-time at Michigan with 3,902 assists. Welsh totaled 11 assist-dig double-doubles in 2018, and was named to the Michigan Challenge and War Eagle Invitational All-Tournament teams.
• Senior co-captain Maddy Abbott wrapped up her final season with the Wolverines in 2018 after appearing in all 34 contests as a setter or serving specialist. She finished third on the team with 24 service aces at 0.20 aces per set and led Michigan with 22 assists in her only start at setter -- an Oct. 27 contest against Minnesota. The senior earned her first CoSIDA Academic All-District second team selection and was named a Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship award winner for the second straight season.
Honors and Awards
Carly
Skjodt
Jenna
Lerg
Paige
Jones
MacKenzi
Welsh
Maddy
Abbott
American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)
All-America (Second Team): Carly Skjodt
All-America (Honorable Mention): Jenna Lerg
American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)
All-North Region: Carly Skjodt, Jenna Lerg
All-North Region (Honorable Mention): Paige Jones
Big Ten Conference
All-Big Ten (First Team): Carly Skjodt
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Jenna Lerg
All-Big Ten (Freshman Team): Paige Jones
Sportsmanship Award: Maddy Abbott
Big Ten Player of the Week
Co-Player: Carly Skjodt (Nov. 26)
Player: Carly Skjodt (Oct. 8, Oct. 15)
Defensive: Jenna Lerg (Aug. 27, Oct. 8)
Setter: MacKenzi Welsh (Aug. 27, Nov. 26)
Co-Setter: MacKenzi Welsh (Oct. 8)
Freshman: Paige Jones (Nov. 26)
CoSIDA Academic All-District
First Team: Carly Skjodt
Second Team: Jenna Lerg
Second Team: Maddy Abbott
Academic All-Big Ten
Maddy Abbott, Sr., English
Ellie Brooks, Jr., International Studies
Kyleigh Hamacher, Jr., Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience
Jenna Lerg, Sr., Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience
Carly Skjodt, Sr., Sport Management
Natalie Smith, So., Art and Design
MacKenzi Welsh, Jr., Sociology
Sydney Wetterstrom, Jr., Health and Fitness
All-Tournament Team Selections
Cori Crocker: Michigan Challenge, Michigan Invitational
Jenna Lerg: Michigan Invitational, War Eagle Invitational MVP
Paige Jones: Michigan Challenge MVP
Carly Skjodt: War Eagle Invitational, Michigan Invitational MVP
MacKenzi Welsh: War Eagle Invitational, Michigan Challenge
