Michigan
Wisconsin
Wolverines to Face Badgers in Top-25 Road Contest
11/1/2018 1:06:00 PM | Volleyball
THIS WEEK
Sunday, Nov. 4 -- at #5 Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 1 p.m. CST
Live Stats | BTN Plus
• Complete Notes (PDF)
• Rosen Report
• Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team (18-6, 7-6 B1G) will wrap up a two-match road swing Sunday (Nov. 4) with a match at No. 5-ranked Wisconsin (16-5, 9-4 B1G). First serve is slated for 1 p.m. CST inside UW Fieldhouse in Madison, Wisconsin. Following the contest, the Wolverines will return home to Cliff Keen Arena for matches against Maryland (Nov. 7) and Nebraska (Nov. 10).
Last Time Out
Match-high 17-kill efforts from freshman Paige Jones and senior Carly Skjodt were not enough Wednesday evening (Oct. 31) as Michigan dropped a 3-1 decision at Indiana (25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-17) inside University Gym. The loss marked U-M's first to an unranked team this season.
Big Ten Schedule
With a 7-6 record in conference action, Michigan sits in seventh place in the Big Ten. All six of Michigan's losses to date have come in Big Ten action. Minnesota, which boasts a 13-0 conference record, is the only unbeaten team remaining.
Maize and Blue on the Road
The Wolverines are 6-3 when playing on the road this season, with their first two road losses coming at then-No. 3 Nebraska to kick off Big Ten Conference play (Sept. 21) and at then-No. 7 Illinois (Oct. 19) in a five-set heartbreaker in mid-October. Michigan's most recent loss came earlier this week in a 3-1 decision at Indiana (Oct. 31).
Freshman Jones Steps Up
Freshman outside hitter Paige Jones has been a force in the lineup for Michigan this season, leading Wolverine hitters in kills nine times and posting 14 double-figure kill efforts. The newcomer from New Bremen, Ohio, ranks second on the team with 3.37 kills per set.
Skjodt Solid All Around
Senior outside hitter and team co-captain Carly Skjodt has been the Wolverines' go-to hitter this season with a team-leading 4.16 kills per set, which ranks third in the Big Ten. As a six-rotation player, Skjodt has posted eight kill-dig double-doubles this year and ranks third on the team with 2.54 digs per set.
How Michigan Stacks Up
Entering the week, the Wolverines ranked No. 26 in the country in kills per set (13.93) and No. 22 in assists per set (13.14). Michigan also ranked 41st in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten Conference with a .169 opponent hitting percentage.
Scouting the Opposition
All-time series against Wisconsin: U-M trails, 58-20
Following a 2-0 showing last week, Wisconsin rose in the AVCA rankings this week to No. 5 and is tied for fourth place in the Big Ten with Purdue, thanks to a 9-4 conference record. Statistically, the Badgers rank ninth in the nation with a .281 team hitting percentage and 13th with 13.36 assists per set. Wisconsin's Dana Rettke leads the Big Ten with a .439 hitting percentage and 1.55 blocks per set. Michigan and Wisconsin faced off last weekend (Oct. 26), with the Badgers taking the match by a 3-2 score (18-25, 25-16, 25-22, 21-25, 15-11) inside Crisler Center.
Michigan and the AVCA Coaches Poll
Following losses to top-10 foes Wisconsin (Oct. 26) and Minnesota (Oct. 27) last weekend, the Wolverines dropped two spots in the AVCA Top 25 this week to check in at No. 14 (767 points). Michigan began the year as the second team outside of the top-25 preseason poll with 153 votes but entered the poll at No. 23 following a 2-0 showing at the War Eagle Invitational to kick off the season. The Maize and Blue has been ranked in every poll since that time.
U-M Ranked 13th in Latest RPI
Following losses to then-No. 7 Wisconsin and No. 3-ranked Minnesota last weekend, the Wolverines dropped two spots to No. 13 in the latest RPI ranking, which was released by the NCAA on Monday (Oct. 29). Michigan is ranked fifth among Big Ten schools, behind Illinois (No. 3), Minnesota (4), Wisconsin (6) and Purdue (12). Seven Big Ten schools rank in the top 16. The NCAA announced the first edition of the RPI on Oct. 1, with the Wolverines coming in at No. 11.
Midweek Action
Wednesday night's match at Indiana (Oct. 31) served as Michigan's first midweek match in Big Ten action this season. The Wolverines played just one midweek non-conference contest earlier this year, which ended in a 3-0 victory over Valparaiso (Sept. 4). Including the Indiana meeting, the Maize and Blue will play one midweek match every week for the last four weeks of the regular season, facing Maryland (Nov. 7), Penn State (Nov. 14) and Northwestern (Nov. 21).Second Half of the Big Ten Schedule
Last weekend's matches (Oct. 26-27) marked the beginning of the second half of the 2018 Big Ten Conference schedule. Michigan has now faced every Big Ten opponent at least once, with the exception of Michigan State, and is now on a journey to play six conference foes for the second time this year. Though Michigan faced Notre Dame twice during the non-conference portion of the season, Wednesday's match against Indiana (Oct. 31) marked the first time during the 20-match Big Ten schedule that the Wolverines battled an opponent for the second time.
