Wolverines to Host No. 13 Purdue, Indiana to Wrap Up 2023 Schedule

Promotions

• Nov. 24: Senior Day -- Join us as the Michigan volleyball senior class is honored on the court after the the game.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (7-20, 5-13 Big Ten) is back home at Cliff Ken Arena for its final weekend of the season. On Friday night (Nov. 24), Michigan will take on No. 13-ranked Purdue (19-8, 13-5 Big Ten) on a sold-out Senior Night. U-M then will host Indiana (19-12, 9-9 Big Ten) on Saturday night (Nov. 25). Friday's match will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network, while Saturday's finale will be streamed live on B1G+.

Notes

• Michigan enters the weekend looking to wrap up the 2023 season on a winning note at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines have gained some momentum in the later half of season, winning four of its last seven matches with their first true road win this season coming against Rutgers in New Brunswick, N.J.

• The Wolverines are one of the best-serving teams in the conference and rank first in aces per set and third in total aces. Michigan recently passed Indiana for the conference lead in aces per set (1.75). U-M also sits third in the Big Ten with 166 total aces, trailing leader Indiana, which has 197.

• Amalia Simmons has stepped up for Michigan of late, starting the last two matches as the team's opposite. After seeing court time sporadically during season, she was steady in the role during their most recent away games. Tallying 11 kills on the weekend, Simmons recorded five kills against Nebraska (Nov. 17) and six more in their last match against Illinois (Nov. 18).

• Kendall Murray continues to lead the team as the only six-rotation pin hitter, with 300 more attempts on the season than anyone else. She recently set a new career high in kills with 24 against Rutgers (Nov. 12). Murray leads the team with 261 kills on the season and averages 2.75 per set. She also is second on the team in digs with 207, trailing only Brooke Humphrey's 222. Murray and Humphrey are the only two Wolverines to play in every set this season.

• Middle blocker Serena Nyambio is a defensive weapon for the Wolverines, leading the team and ranking 22nd in the conference in blocks per set with 0.97. She also leads the team in total blocks on the season at 89 and ranks second on the team in hitting percentage (.229).

• Jacque Boney leads the team in hitting percentage at .315 and has continually been someone the Wolverines offense works hard to find. She ranks third on the team in kills with 214 and is second in blocks with 59. In the conference, Boney ranks 28th in kills per set with a 2.40 average.

• Valentina Vaulet continues to be a big part of the U-M offense. She now ranks second on the team in kills with 222 on the season and averages 2.58 kills per set. From the service line, Vaulet is tied for second in the conference in aces per set and ranks second on the team with 31 service aces on the season thus far.

• Hannah Grant returned to the lineup in the match against Penn State and has started the last seven matches as the team's libero. Last weekend, Grant tallied 14 digs and was a big part on serve-receive. She ranks ninth in program history in digs with 1,245 and is 41 shy of entering eighth, currently held by Kerry Hance.

• Purdue is coming off home-weekend wins over No. 3 Wisconsin in five sets and sweep of Maryland. The Wolverines are 27-55 all time against the Boilermakers, and Frdiay's match will be the first of the season between the schools. In their one match last season, Purdue captured a 3-1 win that saw Nyambio tally eight kills and Boney seven.

• Michigan leads 45-40-1 in the all-time series against the Hosiers, but IU swept the Wolverines in their first matchup of the season on Oct. 14 in Bloomington. The Wolverines were led by Boney's 10 kills and Humphrey's 18 digs, but the offense was unable to take down Indiana. Saturday night's match looks to be a battle of serve-and-pass as the teams are two of the best serving squads in the Big Ten.