Michigan to Face Top-Ranked Wisconsin in Season-Ending Road Series

» Michigan will close the 2020-21 season with two matches at No. 1 Wisconsin.
» U-M leads the conference in team attacks per set (37.22).
» Freshman Jess Mruzik ranks No. 7 in the conference in kills per set with 3.75.
» Wisconsin has played only one match since Feb. 21 due to various COVID-19 issues.

THIS WEEK
Thursday, April 1 -- at No. 1 Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 6 p.m. CDT
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats | Live Video
Friday, April 2 -- at No. 1 Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 2 p.m. CDT
TV: ESPNU | Live Stats | Live Video

• Complete Match Notes (PDF)

• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The University of Michigan volleyball team (4-7, 4-7 B1G) will conclude the 2020-21 season by traveling to No. 1 Wisconsin (11-0, 11-0 B1G) to take the Badgers on Thursday and Friday (April 1-2) at UW Field House in Madison, Wis. Thursday's matchup is slated for a 6 p.m. CDT start on Big Ten Network, while Friday's contest is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT on ESPNU.

Wolverine Bites

• As a team, Michigan leads the conference in team attacks per set (37.22) and checks in at No. 3 in the league and No. 33 in the nation in assists per set (12.78).

• Freshman Jess Mruzik led U-M with 32 kills in two matches against No. 5 Nebraska and is No. 7 in the conference and second among freshmen in the league with 3.75 per set. She boasts 150 total kills on the year, 10 behind junior Paige Jones.

• Mruzik and Jones rank No. 2 and No. 4, respectively, in attacks per set in the conference. Mruzik averages 11.57 per set, while Jones is at 10.36.

• Freshman Kendall Murray stepped into the starting lineup against Nebraska, earning the first two starts of her U-M career. She totaled nine kills against the Cornhuskers and 18 digs to go along with 10.5 points. In all, she has played in 30 sets on the campaign.

• Freshman libero Hannah Grant enters the final weekend of the season with 186 digs (4.13/set). She will be the first freshman to lead the team in digs since Tiffany Morales accomplished the feat in the 2012 season. Additionally, freshman setter Scottee Johnson leads the team in assists with 339 (8.48/set) and will be the first freshman to lead the team in the category since MacKenzi Welsh in the 2016 season.

Opponent Preview

Wisconsin
All-time series against the Badgers: Michigan trails, 59-21

The No. 1 Badgers are coming off a weekend series at No. 9 Penn State that was canceled due to COVID precautions within the Penn State program. The Badgers are ranked No. 1 in the country and are atop the Big Ten standings with an 11-0 record. In total, the Badgers have won 33 of 36 sets on the season. They have only played one match since Feb. 21 due to various COVID issues.

Offensively, the Badgers lead the conference in hitting percentage and rank No. 3 in the NCAA with a .345 mark. They are second in the league in service aces per set (1.72) and rank No. 4 in assists per set (12.72) and blocks per set (2.60). Izzy Ashburn ranks second in the Big Ten in aces per set (.51), while Dana Rettke ranks No. 3 nationally and leads the Big Ten in blocks per set (1.67). Three Badgers rank in the top 10 of the conference in hitting percentage: No. 2 Devyn Robinson (.444), No. 3 Rettke (.439) and No. 7 Danielle Hart (.380).