Michigan
Illinois
Wolverines to Host Illinois, Head to Ohio State in B1G Weekend
10/9/2024 12:38:00 PM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten) will play two conference matches this weekend, hosting Illinois before heading to Columbus to face Ohio State. U-M will play Illinois on Friday (Oct. 11) at Crisler Center at 7 p.m., then head to the Schottenstein Center to play Ohio State on Sunday (Oct. 13) at 1 p.m. Both matches will stream live on B1G+.
Notes
• Over the past weekend, Michigan split its matches, falling to No. 21 USC in five sets before rebounding to take down UCLA in five sets. The Wolverines took the first two sets against USC but couldn't finish off the Trojans, falling 15-12 in the final set. Against the Bruins, U-M won the first and fourth sets, forcing a fifth set and winning 15-13. In the opening conference weekend, Michigan swept MSU and defeated Rutgers in five sets.
• With 103 assists across two matches and 10 sets, Morgan Burke earned Big Ten Setter of the Week honors for the first time in her career. She averaged 10.30 assists per set, and the team converted kills on nearly 40% of Burke's sets. This season, she has 595 assists, 17 kills, 17 aces, 144 digs, and 19 blocks, all higher than last season's totals in seven fewer matches. Burke leads the conference in assists and ranks 17th nationally.
• Averaging over four kills per set, Allison Jacobs ranks fifth in the Big Ten in kills per set and second in total kills, with 240 this season. She has recorded double-digit kills in 13 consecutive matches and 14 of the season's 15 matches. In California, she notched 19 kills in both matches and matched her career-high with 16 digs against UCLA, her former team. Jacobs also ranks as one of the nation's top passers, with 130 digs and 390 first receptions.
• At 13-2, the Wolverines are off to their best start since 2018, when they also went 13-2 and made the Sweet 16. Both losses this season came in five sets, against North Carolina and ranked USC. In 2018, U-M lost to Nebraska and Penn State in the first 15 matches. The team finished 17-2 before going 24-10 and falling to No. 5 Texas in the Sweet 16.
• With 40 aces and 0.78 aces per set, Valentina Vaulet ranks second in the conference and third nationally in both categories. She has recorded at least two aces in 11 of the 13 matches she's played, with a season-high of six in her most recent match against UCLA. Vaulet has also contributed 153 kills, 100 digs, 30 blocks, and 12 assists.
• Leading the team with 230 digs, Maddi Cuchran averages 3.90 digs per set and has 281 serve receptions. Cuchran is third in the conference in total digs and fifth in digs per set. She has recorded double-digit digs in 11 straight matches and 14 of 15 this season. In 40 fewer sets, she has surpassed her totals from last season in digs (214) and assists (35), and has matched her ace total with 10.
• Serena Nyambio leads the team with 63 blocks this season. She has 12 solo blocks and 51 block assists, ranking ninth in the conference. Nyambio also has an impressive .420 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the conference and 17th nationally. She has had five errorless matches this season, with a maximum of four errors in only one match. Nyambio is 19 kills away from surpassing her total from last season and is hitting almost 200 points better.
• The only freshman to start a match this season, Ella Demetrician has recorded 98 kills with a .205 hitting percentage. She has added nine aces, 83 digs, and 11 block assists. Demetrician earned her first career double-double against UCLA, with 11 kills and 12 digs. She has posted double-digit kills in three matches, with a season-high of 18, and double-digit digs in three matches, with a high of 12.
• Illinois is 9-5 on the season and 1-3 in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini recently lost to Oregon, Washington, and Nebraska before beating Northwestern. Illinois leads the all-time series 53-29, including the last two matches. Last season, the Fighting Illini won in three sets in Champaign.
• Ohio State is 7-7 this season and 0-4 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes lost to USC in five sets, UCLA in four, and then to Oregon and Indiana last weekend. All-time, Michigan trails Ohio State 28-59 but won their most recent match-up in four sets at Crisler Center.
