Michigan
Ohio State
U-M to Continue Road Swing with Rivalry Match at OSU
10/19/2017 3:27:00 PM | Volleyball
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This Week:
Sunday, Oct. 22 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 1 p.m.
TV: ESPNUÂ |Â Live Stats
• Complete Notes (PDF)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (13-7, 3-6 B1G) will wrap up a four-match road swing this weekend with a rivalry contest at Ohio State (11-9, 4-5 B1G) on Sunday (Oct. 22) at 1 p.m. Fans can watch the match streamed live on ESPNU.
Last Time Out
Michigan will go into the weekend on a two-match losing streak after dropping a match on Wednesday (Oct. 18) to No. 10-ranked Michigan State. Led by a kill-dig double-double that included 24 kills from junior outside hitter Carly Skjodt along with a 23-dig effort by junior libero Jenna Lerg, the Wolverines took a set from the Spartans but ultimately fell, 3-1.
Scouting the Opposition
Ohio State State (11-9, 4-5 B1G)
2016 Finish: NCAA Second Round
The Buckeyes will enter the weekend with an 11-9 overall record and a 4-5 record in conference action. Most recently, Ohio State capped off a 1-1 week with a loss to Illinois and a sweep of Northwestern, and began this week with a three-set loss at No. 5-ranked Minnesota. Individually, the Buckeyes' freshman libero, Hannah Gruensfelder, currently leads the Big Ten with 4.84 digs per set, while the team ranks ninth in the conference and 35th in the nation with 13.81 kills per set. The Buckeyes also rank fourth in the Big Ten with a combined 15.33 digs per set. Sunday's match will mark just the second time this season that Michigan will face an opponent that it has already played this year.
All-Time History
Record vs. Ohio State: U-M trails 23-53
The Buckeyes have owned the majority of the meetings since the first meeting in 1974, but the Wolverines have won four of the last five contests, including each of the last three meetings. Earlier this season, Michigan hosted Ohio State in the Wolverines' Big Ten home opener and took home a 3-1 victory for their first conference win of the year. In addition to career-high performances by Claire Kieffer-Wright, Natalie Smith, and Kiara Shannon, that win was highlighted by a record-breaking crowd of 8,137 fans inside Crisler Center.
Michigan and the AVCA Poll
After a 1-1 week with a loss to then-No. 2 Penn State and a win over Rutgers, Michigan is still receiving votes in the AVCA Poll this week but is not ranked in the Top-25 for the second week this season. The Wolverines began the season ranked 16th in the preseason poll and appeared in the poll for the first seven editions this season. Michigan finished the 2016 campaign ranked No. 12 and captured multiple victories over ranked opponents, including home wins over Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State and Oregon.
The Big Ten and the AVCA Poll
The Big Ten Conference has six teams represented in the AVCA Top-25 this week. Penn State (1), Minnesota (5), Nebraska (7), Wisconsin (9), and Michigan State (10) all currently sit inside the top ten, while Purdue (17) rounds out the group. Illinois is the second team out of the Top-25 with 33 votes, while Michigan received 19 votes in the coaches' poll. Overall, eight of the 14 Big Ten teams are receiving votes in the poll.
Michigan on the Road
Despite three neutral-site victories in the non-conference portion of the season, the Wolverines have picked up just two road victories this year with their only Big Ten road win coming against Rutgers, who has not yet won a Big Ten match this season. Michigan's first and only other road win came at Loyola Marymount in the first non-conference tournament of the season. Besides a loss to Iowa, all of the Wolverines' road losses have come to teams recognized in the AVCA poll at the time.
