Michigan
Michigan State
Wolverines to Travel to Michigan State, Host Maryland
2/16/2021 12:00:00 PM | Volleyball
» The Wolverines' matchup against Michigan State is the result of a postponed Jan. 28 match.
» U-M enters the week receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
» Over the opening weekend, freshmen accounted for 63 percent of sets played.
THIS WEEK
Wednesday, Feb. 17 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 7 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats
Friday, Feb. 19 -- vs. Maryland (Cliff Keen Arena), 6 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 20 -- vs. Maryland (Cliff Keen Arena), 6 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats
• Complete Match Notes (PDF) | Rosen Report
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The University of Michigan volleyball team (0-2, 0-2 Big Ten) has a trio of matches this week, first traveling to take on Michigan State (2-4, 2-4 Big Ten) on Wednesday (Feb. 17) in East Lansing, followed by a two-match set at Cliff Keen Arena against Maryland (0-8, 0-8 Big Ten) on Friday and Saturday nights (Feb. 19-20).
The matchup against the Spartans is slated for a 7 p.m. start, while the contests against the Terrapins are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. All three matches will be streamed live on Big Ten Network Plus.
Wolverine Bites
• Wednesday's matchup versus MSU, originally scheduled for Jan. 28 in East Lansing, is the first of two matchups that were postponed in a home-and-home series against the Spartans. The finale, originally slated for Jan. 30 in Ann Arbor, has not yet been rescheduled.
• Michigan boasts six players from the state of Michigan in freshman Jess Mruzik (Livonia), sophomore Maddie Dowd (Clarkston), junior Abbey Malinowski (Clarkston), redshirt freshman Hannah Grant (Northville), sophomore Jess Robinson (Troy) and Kendall Murray (Ann Arbor).
• U-M enters the week ranked just outside the AVCA Top-25, receiving 99 votes. Wisconsin ranks No. 1, while Nebraska (No. 4), Minnesota (No. 5), Penn State (No. 8), and last week's opponent, Purdue (No. 11) all rank in the top 25.
• Through the opening weekend, freshman Jess Mruzik leads the Wolverines in kills with 40, and is hitting at a .204 clip. Junior Paige Jones (33 kills, .174 hitting percentage) and sophomore May Pertofsky (20, .256) also are above the 20-kill plateau. Mruzik is averaging 5.00 kills/set, while jones is at 4.13/set.
• In addition to Mruzik, redshirt-freshman libero Hannah Grant, setter Scottee Johnson, Brooke Humphrey, and Kendall Murray all saw significant action on opening weekend. Grant led the team with 39 digs, Johnson led with 88 assists. Of 56 sets played on the season, freshmen account for 36 (63 percent).
• Over the weekend, U-M outdistanced the Boilermakers in the kill department (124-112) and total attacks (318-270). Michigan also had a 115-106 setting advantage.
Opponent Previews
Michigan State
All-time series against the Spartans: U-M trails, 53-46
Michigan State enters the midweek matchup with a 2-4 overall and Big Ten mark, and is coming off a sweep of Maryland over the weekend. The Spartans began the season dropping its first four matches, falling at Minnesota and versus Ohio State. Sarah Franklin leads the team with 84 kills (3.82 kills/set), while Celia Cullen leads the Spartans with 182 assists. Naya Gros has 20 blocks, and Jamye Cox has 74 digs (3.45/set).
Maryland
Michigan leads, 12-1, in the all-time series against the Terrapins
Maryland (0-8, 0-8 B1G) sits at the bottom of the conference standings and is coming off a pair of losses against Michigan State over the weekend. The Terps have won seven of 31 sets on the season. Erika Pritchard leads Maryland in kills with 102 (3.29/set) and boasts 10 service aces. Nicole Alford has 261 assists (8.42/set). Defensively, Rainelle Jones has compiled 41 total blocks (1.32/set), while Sam Burgio has 133 digs and 4.29 digs per set.
Up Next
Friday, Feb. 26 -- at No. 5 Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 4 p.m. CST
Saturday, Feb. 27 -- at No. 5 Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 7 p.m. CST
