U-M to Take On West Virginia, Navy at Kristen Dickmann Invite

» Michigan heads to Annapolis, Md., to take on West Virginia and Navy at the Kristen Dickmann Invitational.
» Hannah Grant earned the season's initial Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor on Monday for her play at the LSU Tiger Classic last weekend.
» This will be the third time the Wolverines will face West Virginia and Navy. U-M is tied 1-1 with the Mountaineers, while it is 2-0 against the Mids.

THIS WEEK
at Kristen Dickmann Invitational (Annapolis, Md.)
Friday, Sept. 3 -- vs. West Virginia, Noon
Live Stats
Friday, Sept. 3 -- at Navy, 7 p.m.
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• Complete Game Notes (PDF) | Rosen Report

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team hits the road for the second consecutive weekend, traveling to Annapolis, Md., to take part in the Kristen Dickmann Invitational. The Wolverines will play both matches of the event Friday (Sept. 3), battling West Virginia at noon and host Navy at 7 p.m. The matchup against Navy will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Wolverine Bites

• Redshirt sophomore Hannah Grant took home the first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award of the 2021 campaign, marking the first time since 2018 a Wolverine has won the award. The Northville, Mich., averaged 6.14 digs per set in two Michigan wins while anchoring a stout defense from the libero position. Not only did Grant lead the Wolverines in digs for the weekend (43), she was perfect in serve reception attempts, going 42-for-42. The first career award for Grant was the first DPOW since Jenna Lerg earned the honor.

• Michigan has made its way to No. 23 in the latest edition of the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll released Monday (Aug. 30), after receiving votes in the preseason poll. The move into the Top 25 came on the heels of a 2-0 weekend at the LSU Tiger Classic with wins over LSU (3-1) and Florida State (3-0).

• Leading the offense for the weekend at the Tiger Classic was senior Paige Jones, who returned to her All-American form with a 4.43 kills-per-set average while hitting .262. The New Bremen, Ohio, native led the Wolverines in kills in both matches, registering 19 against LSU and 12 against Florida State. The outside hitter also registered her first double-double of the campaign against the Seminoles, adding 10 digs.

• Perhaps the most impressive offensive performance from the weekend came from junior May Pertofsky against Florida State. The opposite hitter had 10 kills on 13 chances without committing an error for a robust .769 attack percentage. Pertofsky also added three blocks and two service aces in the contest.

• In its match against Florida State, Michigan registered its most aces in a match (12) since having 12 against Rutgers in 2017. Sophomore Scottee Johnson led the way with a career-best seven aces, while Pertofsky added two and Grant, Jones and Jess Robinson each added one.

• Johnson had a strong start to the 2021 campaign at the Tiger Classic, averaging 10 assists per set while adding six kills and nine aces. The Dayton, Ohio, native set a new career high in aces against Florida State, finishing the match with seven. Her nine aces from the opening weekend match Johnson's career total from the 2021 spring campaign.

• The Big Ten leads all conferences with seven teams in the top 25 of the latest AVCA poll. Big Ten schools make up half of the top 10 rankings this week, paced by No. 2 Wisconsin, followed by No. 4 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 8 Purdue and No. 10 Minnesota. Penn State is next at No. 17, while Michigan makes its season debut in the poll at No. 23. Illinois is receiving votes for the second consecutive week.

• With trips to the LSU Tiger Classic and the Kristen Dickmann open, Michigan begins its season playing back-to-back road weekends for the first time in a decade. The Wolverines started the 2011 campaign at the Morehead State Eagle Challenge in Morehead, Ky., before heading west to the La Quinta Inn and Suites Challenge in Orem, Utah. The Maize and Blue would go on to make a run to the NCAA Regional Semifinals that season.

• This year marks the 10th edition of the Kristen Dickmann Invitational. Held from 2010-18 (scheduling conflicts canceled the 2019 tournament and COVID-19 canceled the 2020 invite), the event is named after the late Navy volleyball player.

Opponent Preview

West Virginia
All-time series against West Virginia: Tied 1-1

The Mountaineers come into the weekend with a perfect 3-0 record after winning the Old Dominion Invitational. WVU dropped only one set in its three games.

Freshman middle Madison Page was named the Big XII Rookie of the Week for her performance, finishing with 13 kills and a .333 hitting percentage. Fifth-year senior Briana Lynch has been a dominant force on offense, with 3.60 kills per set and a robust .554 attack percentage.

Michigan and West Virginia have split their all-time series, with the Mountaineers winning the first matchup between the two in 1989, and the Wolverines drawing even in 2015.

Navy
All-time series against Navy: Michigan leads 2-0

Navy is off to a 3-1 start to this season after winning the Morgan State Invitational with a perfect 3-0 mark before falling to America East champion Towson in its home opener.

The Mids are led by fourth-year head coach Paco Labrador, who recently earned career win 500 against Binghamton opening weekend. Labrador, who spent 15 seasons at NCAA DIII Wittenberg, has compiled a 501-72 career record.

On the court, Navy has seen tremendous production from outside hitter Jamie Llewellyn in the young season, leading the Mids in points thanks to her 37 kills and team-leading 11 service aces. Avery Stowell leads the team in kills with 40.

U-M and Navy have only played twice in program history, with the Wolverines sweeping the Mids in both instances. This is the first time the two have played in Annapolis.

Up Next

• Friday, Sept. 10 -- vs. Duke - Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Crisler Center), 7 p.m.