Michigan
Minnesota
Michigan to Hit Road for Top-25 Showdown at No. 5 Minnesota
11/14/2019 5:04:00 PM | Volleyball
THIS WEEK
Saturday, Nov. 16 -- at No. 5 Minnesota (Maturi Pavilion), 7 p.m. CST
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The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team (18-7, 11-4 Big Ten) hits the road for a top-25 matchup as it heads to No. 5 Minnesota for a Saturday night (Nov. 16) match at 7 p.m. CST at Maturi Pavilion.
Michigan and Minnesota come in with two of longest active win streaks in the conference, as the Wolverines have won five straight and the Golden Gophers are riding a league-leading eight consecutive victories. U-M looks to avenge a five-set loss to Minnesota earlier this season (Oct. 25) in Ann Arbor.
Keep the Streak Alive
Not only have the Wolverines won five consecutive matches, they also have won back-to-back matches against top-25 opponents. Michigan took down then-No. 19 Illinois at Huff Hall in four sets on Nov. 1 and came back eight days later to defeat the No. 21 Illini (Nov. 9) again in four sets, this time in the friendly confines of Cliff Keen Arena.
Against the Top 25
• The Wolverines are 2-4 against ranked opponents this season and, in addition to No. 5-ranked Minnesota on Saturday (Nov. 16), they still have No. 16 Purdue on the schedule twice (Nov. 23 and Nov. 27).
• The Wolverines are back in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll at No. 23 after defeating both No. 21 Illinois and rival Michigan State by 3-1 finals last week. It marks the first time since Week Two that U-M has been ranked.
Dispatching the Hawkeyes
Michigan's sweep of Iowa on Wednesday (Nov. 13) was its first three-set win since taking down Rutgers on Oct. 19. The Wolverines hit an eye-popping .396, had a sideout percentage of 75 and finished with six aces in the match.
Just Jones-ing Around
• Sophomore Paige Jones is third in the Big Ten in kills per set (3.84) this season while hitting .265 and has had double-digit kill efforts in 14-of-15 conference games.
• Her Big Ten Player of the Week award (Nov. 11) marked the first time she had been bestowed the honor in her career. Jones continued her tear against the Big Ten last week, finishing with 38 kills (4.75 kills per set) at a .298 clip while adding 19 digs, four service aces, three block assists and one assist on the weekend.
Same Aces, New Faces
Michigan ranks third in the Big Ten in aces per set (1.51), and the tandem of Paige Jones (0.37, sixth) and freshman May Pertofsky (0.33, 11th) have fared well from the service line as individuals. In the Wolverines' sweep of Iowa on Wednesday (Nov. 13), it was Natalie Smith and Katerina Rocafort coming through from the line, each tying their career highs with three aces apiece.
What Can Mac Do For You?
• Senior MacKenzi Welsh moved into fourth in Michigan volleyball history in all-time assists thanks to her 44-assist performance at Northwestern on Nov. 2. Her 4,932 career assists put her 140 behind Linnea Mendoza (1994-97) for third place in U-M record book.
• Welsh had her fifth 50-plus assist performance of the season with 53 against Michigan State (Nov. 6). It was her first time topping that plateau in a four-set match.
Seven Ranked B1G Teams
Monday's (Nov. 11) AVCA Top 25 poll has seven Big Ten Conference teams ranked. Minnesota leads the way at No. 5, while Nebraska (6), Wisconsin (7), and Penn Sate (8) all sit inside the top 10. Purdue comes in at No. 16, with Michigan at 23 and Illinois at 25.
Top 10 Opponent
The last time Michigan defeated an opponent ranked in the AVCA Top 10 was at No. 5 Wisconsin last season. The Wolverines won, 3-1 (19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-22), in Madison. U-M takes on No. 5 Minnesota Saturday (Nov. 16).
Scouting the Opposition
No. 5 Minnesota
All-time series against the Golden Gophers: U-M trails, 53-16
Michigan heads to Maturi Pavilion looking for its first win against the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis since Nov. 13, 2011. Since then, Minnesota has won five consecutive matches at home against the Wolverines and eight-straight overall. Redshirt junior Regan Pittman has been a force up front all season, averaging 1.83 kills per set while hitting .355, and also turning in a Big Ten-leading 1.38 blocks per set mark.
