Michigan
Illinois
U-M to Close Regular Season Hosting Illinois, Northwestern
11/22/2021 8:41:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan will wrap up the regular season with a pair of home matches.
» U-M will host No. 23 Illinois for Parents Night on Wednesday.
» The Wolverines will honor seniors Paige Jones, Abbey Malinowski, Grace Persson and Lizzie Sadilek after Friday's match with Northwestern.
THIS WEEK
Wednesday, Nov. 24 -- vs. No. 23 Illinois (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
TV: B1G+ | Live Stats | Live Video
Friday, Nov. 26 -- vs. Northwestern (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
TV: B1G+ | Live Stats | Live Video
• Complete Game Notes (PDF) | Rosen Report
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (16-11, 9-9 Big Ten) will return home for the final week of action in the regular season, welcoming No. 23 Illinois on Wednesday (Nov. 24) and Northwestern on Friday (Nov. 26) to Cliff Keen Arena. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on Big Ten Network+.
The Wolverines will hold their annual Parents Night prior to the match against the Fighting Illini on Wednesday, and after Friday's match against the Wildcats, U-M will honor its four seniors: Paige Jones, Abbey Malinowski, Grace Persson and Lizzie Sadilek.
Wolverine Bites
• The Wolverines remain at .500 in Big Ten play after yet another 1-1 weekend against No. 6 Purdue and Michigan State. Michigan hopes to pick up a pair of wins this week by avenging an early-season loss to Illinois and taking down Northwestern in the teams' lone matchup this season.
• Senior Paige Jones and redshirt sophomore Hannah Grant received CoSIDA Academic All-Region First Team honors last week, becoming just the third and fourth student-athletes in program history to earn a first team nod.
• Jones currently ranks ninth in Michigan history in career kills with 1,383 and is just two away from passing Erin Moore (2000-03) and moving into eighth all-time. Sitting at seventh on the list is Jones' former teammate Carly Skjodt (2015-18), who has 1,401 career kills.
• Michigan received a career-performance from Grant against No. 6 Purdue as the libero put up a career-best 27 digs in the four-set match. Grant is averaging 4.27 digs per set on the season and has a 4.29 mark in Big Ten play.
• Sophomore Jess Mruzik has an active streak of 15 consecutive matches with double-digit kills and has reached at least 10 in 19 of the last 20 matches. The Livonia, Mich. native ranks ninth in the Big Ten in kills per set (3.55).
• Although finishing with only five aces against Michigan State (Nov. 21), the Wolverines' aggressive serving caused the Spartans to play out of system for much of the match. Notably, with a tight 16-14 advantage in the third set, sophomore Kendall Murray started an 8-0 scoring run that put the match out of reach. Murray collected a service ace during the run, and finished the match with a pair.
• Michigan's win over Michigan State Sunday marked the eighth straight against the Spartans. The streak is the longest for the Wolverines in the history of the rivalry that dates back to 1973. U-M is now just one win away from tying MSU for the longest win streak in the rivalry's past.
• Junior May Pertofsky continues to be the class of the Big Ten when it comes to performance at the service line, leading the nation's best conference with 0.47 aces per set.
• The Big Ten Conference has eight programs represented in the top 40 of the NCAA RPI. Wisconsin (5) leads all teams, followed by Purdue (8), Ohio State (9), Nebraska (13), Minnesota (20), Penn State (27), Illinois (30), and Michigan (37).
Opponent Preview
Illinois
Michigan trails 51-28 in the all-time series against Illinois
After not playing one another in the spring of 2021, Michigan and Illinois are set to do battle for the second time this season during Wednesday night's match. The Illini topped the Wolverines in an exciting four-set battle in Huff Hall earlier this season (Oct. 23), as three of the four sets needed extra points to determine a winner.
Sophomore outside hitter Raina Terry paces the Illini with a 3.31 kills per set and also ranks second in the Big Ten in aces per set with a 0.47 mark. Redshirt junior Diana Brown has orchestrated the offense from the setter spot, averaging 10.16 assists per set while Illinois is hitting .223 as a team. Libero Taylor Kuper is fifth in the Big Ten with 4.46 digs per set and junior Kennedy Collins leads the team in blocks with a 1.11 average.
Illinois has won two straight and three of its last four matches, most recently sweeping both Indiana and Maryland in Week 13. The Fighting Illini have two wins over Top 25 opponents this fall, both coming on the road (at No. 6 Purdue and at No. 13 Penn State). Illinois' No. 23 ranking is the highest it has had this season.
Northwestern
Michigan leads 47-29 in the all-time series against Northwestern
The Wolverines and Wildcats will square off for the first time since the 2019 season in the 2021 regular season finale this Friday (Nov. 26). U-M is riding a modest three-match win streak over Northwestern, having swept both matches of the 2018 season and winning a five-match thriller in Evanston in 2019.
Junior Temi Thomas-Ailara continues to be one of the top offensive talents in the Big Ten this season, averaging 3.91 kills per set on the campaign. She ranks second in the league in points per set (4.60), fifth in kills per set and eighth in aces (0.33). Sophomore setter Alexa Rousseau is averaging 9.57 assists per set and senior Megan Miller leads the team in digs per set with a 2.99 mark.
Northwestern has taken at least one set in each of its last three losses to ranked opponents, but have lost four straight overall and five of its last six matches. The Wildcats have a 5-8 record away from Welsh-Ryan Arena on the season, including wins at Maryland, Iowa and Indiana.
Up Next
• Sunday, Nov. 28 -- NCAA Selection Show, 8:30 p.m. (ESPNU) | Watch Live
