Michigan to Open NCAA Tournament Action with MAC Champion Ball State

» Michigan opens its 20th NCAA Tournament appearance against Ball State.
» The Wolverines are 3-0 all-time against the Cardinals.
» The winner of the match will take on the winner of Friday's match between No. 1 Louisville and Illinois-Chicago on Saturday at 6 p.m.

THIS WEEK
Friday, Dec. 3 -- vs. Ball State (L&N Federal Credit Union Arena), 4 p.m.
TV: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Video | NCAA Bracket

• Complete Game Notes (PDF) | Rosen Report

• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (18-11) will take on Ball State (29-3) in the first round 2021 NCAA Division I Championship on Friday (Dec. 3) at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena in Louisville, Ky. The match will begin at 4 p.m. on the campus of No. 1 overall seed Louisville and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

2021 NCAA First/Second Rounds

Friday, Dec. 3
Match 1 -- Michigan vs. Ball State, 4 p.m.
Match 2 -- No. 1 Louisville vs. Illinois-Chicago, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 4
Match 3 -- Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m.

Michigan Earns 20th Tournament Berth

The Wolverines will make their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 16 years this weekend. The NCAA berth is the program's 20th and the 19th under head coach Mark Rosen. Through 18 previous NCAA postseason appearances under Rosen, the Wolverines have posted a 24-19 overall record.

Mruzik Highlights Big Ten Honors

Michigan sophomore Jess Mruzik was selected to the 2021 All-Big Ten first team, the league office announced Wednesday (Dec. 1). In addition, Jacque Boney earned a spot on the All-Freshman team and redshirt sophomore Hannah Grant was named Michigan's Sportsmanship Award winner.

The Big Ten and the Postseason

Eight Big Ten teams were selected to the 2021 NCAA Volleyball Tournament, with five teams serving as first- and second-round hosts. No. 4 seed Wisconsin leads the way, followed by No. 6 Purdue, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 10 Nebraska and No. 12 Minnesota. Unseeded Penn State, Illinois and Michigan round out the group. The eight bids mark the 29th consecutive season that at least six Big Ten teams have been selected to the tournament.

Michigan Finishes Eighth in Big Ten

The Wolverines finished their conference schedule with 11 wins, good for eighth place in the Big Ten standings. U-M's nine losses in league play came at the hands of 2021 NCAA Tournament teams; all 11 of Michigan's setbacks this season came at the hands of tournament teams.

The Wolverines Under Mark Rosen

The 2021 volleyball season marks the program's 49th and 23rd under head coach Mark Rosen. In his time leading the Maize and Blue, Rosen has compiled a 451-285 record and guided Michigan to 19 of its 22 postseason appearances. In addition to serving as the longest-tenured volleyball coach at U-M, Rosen is the winningest coach in program history.

Scouting the Opposition

Ball State
All-time series against the Cardinals: Michigan leads 3-0

Ball State comes into the postseason after a dominant regular-season performance, finishing the campaign 29-3 overall and 17-1 in Mid-American Conference play. The Cardinals come into the tournament on a 19-match win streak. Sophomore Lauren Gilliland and junior Marie Plitt finished as the top two in hitting percentage in the MAC, as Gilliland hit .368 and Plitt followed at .359. Setter Megan Wielonski averaged 10.88 assists per set and freshman Megan Wielonski led the league in total aces (54) and aces per set (0.45). BSU is coached by Kelli Miller Phillips, who has a 107-63 overall record since taking over the program in 2016, including a 64-31 record in MAC play. Phillips has led Ball State to four MAC West titles (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) and two MAC Tournament championships (2019, 2021).

Louisville
All-time series against the Cardinals: Michigan and Louisville tied 3-3

The undefeated Cardinals come into the weekend as the No. 1 team in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll and the No. 1 overall seed of the NCAA Tournament. Louisville leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in hitting percentage (.303), opponent hitting percentage (.143), opponent assists (9.96), opponent kills (10.78), blocks (2.93), service aces (1.73), and opponent service aces (0.65). Anna Stevens is the only Louisville player leading the ACC in a statistical category, turning in a .435 hitting percentage on the campaign. Sophomore Anna DeBeer leads the team in kills per set with a 3.15 mark, while setter Tori Dilfer leads the way with a 10.67 assists-per-set average, and libero Elena Scott averages 3.70 digs per set. The Cardinals have three individuals averaging more than a block per set as junior Amaya Tillman (1.38), graduate student Anna Stevenson (1.28) and redshirt junior Aiko Jones (1.16) offer a formidable defensive front.

UIC
All-time series against the Flames: Michigan leads 6-0

Illinois-Chicago won the program's first Horizon League championship to earn the conference's automatic bid. The Flames won three straight five-set matches over a three-day span, upsetting the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to take the league title. Senior outside hitter averaged 3.83 kills per set over the course of the season and earned Horizon League Tournament MVP. Sophomore Sohila Wafeek served as the Flames' primary setter averaging 8.68 assists per set, while sophomore Jaclyn Oblena led the way with 3.79 digs per set.