U-M to Host American Thursday in NCAA First Round
11/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 29, 2016
• Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
• | Watch 
| Tournament Central | NCAA Bracket
• Complete Game Notes 
| Coach Rosen on WTKA 
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team received an at-large berth in the 2016 NCAA Division I Championship as the No. 12 seed and will host opponents American, Miami (Ohio) and Oregon in the first and second rounds of the tournament. Michigan will face American in the first round Thursday (Dec. 1) at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The match will start at 7:30 p.m.
NCAA SELECTION
The No. 12 seed is Michigan's highest NCAA seed in program history. The Wolverines have not hosted an NCAA first round since 2009, when they were the No. 13 seed. Thursday's other first-round match features Miami (Ohio) University against the University of Oregon at 5:30 p.m. The U-M/AU winner will face the winner of the MU/UO match in second-round action Friday (Dec. 2).
SCOUTING REPORT
American (27-7)
American comes to Ann Arbor after finishing 27-7 and winning the Patriot League title. The Eagles have won 18 of their last 19 matches, dropping just five sets in that span. American ranks first in the Patriot League and 19th nationally in hit percentage at .270. The team is led by sophomore Aleksandra Kazala, who averages 4.36 kills per set.
Miami (Ohio) (24-6)
Miami has rebounded nicely after losing four of its first matches, going 23-2 since the start of September. The Redhawks have a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging over 2.25 kills per set. Miami had the best record in the MAC but lost its last match to No. 2 seed Northern Illinois in the MAC Tournament.
Oregon (20-9)
The Ducks come to Ann Arbor after making it through a tough Pac-12 schedule. This season, Oregon has played 11 AVCA Top 25 teams, going 5-6 in that span. The team is led by sophomore Lindsey Vander Weide and senior Amanda Benson, who were each named to the All-Pac-12 Team this year. Oregon ranks second in the Pac-12 and 15th nationally in hitting percentage and ranks in the top 15 in kills per set and assists per set.
THE RECORD BOOKS
History vs. American
All-time record: 3-0
Last meeting: Sep. 9, 2016 (U-M won 3-0)
Michigan leads this series 3-0, including a sweep of American earlier this season at the Panther Invitational. In that match, Michigan held American to a .170 hit percentage, while senior Abby Cole had one of her most efficient matches of the year, leading the Wolverines with a .636 hit percentage. American is 0-2 this year against ranked teams, also losing to Washington (3-2).
History vs. Miami (Ohio)
All-time record: 9-3
Last meeting: Aug. 27, 2016 (U-M won 3-0)
Michigan has won eight matches in a row against the Redhawks, without dropping a set in the last five meetings. The Wolverines faced off against Miami in the second match of the season, winning 3-0 in the Michigan Invitational. Miami has not played any top-25 teams in the regular season.
History vs. Oregon
All-time record: 1-2
Last meeting: Sep. 13, 2014 (U-M lost 3-0)
If Michigan and Oregon advance to the second round, Michigan will look to avenge its 3-0 loss from two seasons ago against the Ducks. Both teams have faced off against several top-25 teams throughout the 2016 regular season, with Michigan going 3-7 and Oregon 5-6.
WHEN AT HOME
Following a 3-0 sweep of Michigan State on Wednesday (Nov. 23), the highly ranked Wolverines finished the regular season with a 15-2 record when playing at home, with their only home losses coming against No. 1 Nebraska and then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Michigan has held opponents to just a .197 hitting percentage when playing inside Cliff Keen Arena, winning 44 sets and dropping just 14. The Wolverines' lone five-set home loss came against then-No. 1 Wisconsin in which Michigan fell by a narrow 15-13 score in set five. Of Michigan's 15 victories inside Keen, six have been sweeps and three have come over AVCA Top 25 opponents.
WELSH, COLE, AND MURPHY EARN ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
University of Michigan volleyball senior Abby Cole was selected to the 2016 All-Big Ten Conference First Team, and freshman MacKenzi Welsh received a selection to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, it was announced by the Big Ten Conference office on Tuesday (Nov. 29). Michigan senior Kelly Murphy also earned postseason accolades as Michigan's Sportsmanship Award winner.
LERG WRAPS REGULAR SEASON AS B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After averaging 4.9 digs per set with two double-digit dig outings last week against Michigan State and Nebraska, sophomore libero Jenna Lerg was named the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week. She finished the week with 34 total digs, including 14 in a three-set sweep of No. 14-ranked Michigan State and 20 against No. 1-ranked Nebraska. Her performance in Lincoln, Nebraska, clinched her 500th dig of the season, and she is just the sixth Wolverine in school history to achieve such a feat.
22-WIN MARK
A victory over Northwestern on Nov. 5 allowed Michigan to reach the 20-win mark with six matches to go in the 2016 regular season, matching their nine-win conference record from last year. With additional victories over Indiana (Nov. 9) and Michigan State (Nov. 23), Michigan has now reached 22 wins for the first time since the 2012 campaign, when the Wolverines made their first-ever Final Four appearance.
Communications contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt
