Wolverines to Wrap Up Crisler Matches with No. 13 Penn State, Ohio State

Promotions

Penn State (Oct. 27)
• Nightmare on Stadium Blvd -- Celebrate Halloween with the Michigan volleyball team; Halloween-themed activities on the concourse.
• Spooky Socks Giveaway -- First 1,000 fans

Ohio State (Oct. 29)
• Blue Out the Buckeyes -- Wear blue and support your Wolverines!
• Michigan Volleyball Flag Giveaway -- First 1,000 fans
• Concessions Specials -- Blue cotton candy
• Postgame Autographs -- Be sure to stick around postgame and bring your flag as members of the Michigan Volleyball team will be available to sign autographs on the concourse.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (3-16, 1-9 Big Ten) returns home after a three0match road swing for its final two matches in Crisler Center. On Friday (Oct. 27) at 7 p.m., Michigan will take on Penn State (14-5, 8-2 Big Ten), and on Sunday (Oct. 29) at 1 p.m., the Wolverines will face off against Ohio State (7-12, 4-6 Big Ten). Friday's match will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network, while Sunday's game will be broadcast live on Fox -- the first Big Ten volleyball match to air on the network.

Notes

• Michigan is 3-16 overall and 1-9 in the Big Ten after dropping a five-set match to Northwestern on Saturday night (Oct. 21). The Wolverines have had one of the toughest schedules in the nation, ranking 28th in opponent win percentage. U-M's opponents currently hold a 229-139 record (.622).

• The game between Michigan and Ohio State marks the first time that Fox is broadcasting a Big Ten volleyball game. Markets receiving a late NFL game (4 p.m.) will be shown the Michigan-Ohio State game at 2 p.m.on Fox. Minnesota and Wisconsin as part of a doubleheader. Both matches also will be simulcast on FS2 and the FOX Sports App.

• At home, Michigan has had great home support, setting the second and third highest program attendance records this season. On Sept. 22, a crowd of 6,569 came out to Crisler when U-M took on Michigan State. A few weeks later against Nebraska (Oct. 7), 7,831 fans were in attendance -- the second-largest crowd in program history. Nationally, U-M ranks 14th in total attendance at 24,560 and 16th in average attendance (3,070) across eight matchess.

• In the conference, Michigan ranks in the top five in three categories - aces per set, team attacks per set and team service aces. The Wolverines have 122 service aces on the season for 1.79 aces per set. Their 122 total aces rank fourth in the Big Ten, and their aces-per-set average ranks second overall and 49th nationally. U-M also ranks fourth in attacks per set (34.03) and seventh in digs per set (13.78).

• This season, the Wolverines have had a balanced attack with four players totaling more than 100 kills. Kendall Murray leads the team with 176 kills and ranks 20th in the conference in kills per set, averaging 2.59. She tied her career high in kills in the last match against Northwestern with 21. Valentina Vaulet ranks second on the team with 149 kills and has 34 in the last two matches. Jacque Boney ranks third on the team in kills with 140 and was recently passed by Vaulet. Boney is averaging a half-point higher in kills per set than last season and hitting more than 60 percent better as well. Serena Nyambio recently with 12 total kills in the past two matches for 106 for the season.

• Defensively, the Wolverines have three players with 150 digs or more. Brooke Humphrey leads the team with 179 and has tripled her previous three seasons combined. Murray ranks second in digs with 153 and recently passed a new career high, passing her sophomore year total of 144. Maddi Cuchran ranks third on the team with 150, and led the team with 18 digs against Northwestern on Saturday.

• Five players in the Big Ten have had six service aces or more in a match this season, with Michigan having three of them. Lydia Johnson tops the conference with seven in a match against Sacred Heart (Aug. 26). Most recently, Vaulet had six aces in a four-set win over Northwestern (Oct. 6), while Murray had six in a five-set loss to Bowling Green on Sept. 15.

• Morgan Burke has been the team's setter since the Indiana match and has racked up 92 assists in the three matches. Burke also has added six kills, five aces and 29 digs. A freshman from Nebraska, Burke now has 185 assists on the season.

• Penn State is ranked 13th this season with a 14-5 record. In the conference, the Nittany Lions are third with an 8-2 record. PSU leads 54-6 in the all-time series with Michigan, but the Wolvernes upset Penn State last year. In that match in State College, Pa., U-M won 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-19). Boney led the team in blocks with six.

• Ohio State is 7-12 on the season and 4-6 in the conference standings. The Buckeys lead 59-27 in the all-time series with U-M, with the Wolverines' last win coming in 2019. In their last meeting, OSU won 3-0 on Oct. 26, 2022.