Michigan to Host Rutgers in B1G Home Opener, Penn State

THIS WEEK:
Friday, Sept. 28 -- vs. Rutgers (Cliff Keen Arena),7 p.m.
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Sunday, Sept. 30 -- vs. #9 Penn State (Crisler Center),1 p.m.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team (12-1) will kick off a four-match homestand this weekend (Sept. 28-30) with its Big Ten Conference home opener against Rutgers on Friday (Sept. 28) in Cliff Keen Arena. Michigan will then play host to No. 9-ranked Penn State on Sunday (Sept. 30) inside Crisler Center. Fans can watch Sunday's match live on ESPNU and WatchESPN.

Big Ten Schedule

Michigan opened Big Ten Conference action last weekend with a loss at No. 3-ranked Nebraska on Friday (Sept. 21), which marked the Wolverines' first loss of the 2018 season following an 11-0 start. The Maize and Blue then finished the weekend with a 3-1 win at Iowa on Sunday (Sept. 23) to improve to 1-1 in conference play.

Perfect Through Non-Conference

The Wolverines entered Big Ten action with an 11-0 record through non-conference play. The 11-match win streak marked a program best since 2011, when Michigan won 13 consecutive matches to start the season. Additionally, the first 10 of Michigan's 11 wins to start the season came via sweep, which set a new program record.

Wolverines at Home

Michigan's senior class has posted a 48-10 record at home since the trio stepped foot on campus in the fall of 2015 and will look to maintain an edge at home once again this year. The Wolverines are 8-0 when playing at home this season.

How Michigan Stacks Up

Going into the weekend, the Wolverines rank No. 8 in the nation in kills per set (14.57) and No. 5 in assists per set (13.71). Michigan also ranks sixth in the country with a .138 opponent hitting percentage, while ranking 15th in team hitting percentage.

The Defensive Difference

Senior libero Jenna Lerg has anchored the back row for the Wolverines this season, posting 12 matches with double-figure digs and averaging 5.55 digs per set to rank 16th in the country. Michigan also has had three players earn kill-dig or assist-dig double-doubles this year, including freshman Paige Jones, junior MacKenzi Welsh and senior Carly Skjodt.

Offensive Prowess

In addition to Michigan's defensive success, the Wolverines have had multiple players tally double-figure kill efforts this year. Most recently, junior Sydney Wetterstrom set the team's season-high with a career-best 21 kills in Michigan's win at Iowa (Sept. 23). Guiding the offense is junior setter MacKenzi Welsh, who ranks 13th in the country and third in the Big Ten with 11.31 assists per set.

Scouting the Opposition

Rutgers
All-time series against the Scarlet Knights: U-M leads, 5-0
Rutgers boasts a 6-9 overall record and is one of four teams in the Big Ten that started conference play with an 0-2 record. The Scarlet Knights rank seventh in the nation with 2.92 blocks per set, while junior middle blocker Stasa Miljevic ranks third in the Big Ten at 1.49 blocks per set.

Penn State
All-time series against Nittany Lions: U-M trails, 49-5
The No. 9-ranked Nittany Lions will enter the weekend with a 9-3 overall record after dropping two matches last week to begin Big Ten play. Despite the two-match skid, Penn State leads the country with 3.18 blocks per set and is ranked No. 15 in opponent hitting percentage.

Michigan and the AVCA Poll

Despite dropping a match at No. 3-ranked Nebraska last weekend, the Wolverines jumped one spot in the AVCA Top-25 Coaches Poll this week and are ranked No. 17 (572 votes). 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.

Michigan under Mark Rosen

The 2018 volleyball campaign marks the program's 46th season and 20th under head coach Mark Rosen. In his time leading the Maize and Blue, Rosen has compiled a 396-244 record and guided Michigan to 16 of its 17 NCAA postseason appearances. In addition to serving as the longest-tenured volleyball coach at Michigan, Rosen is the winningest coach in program history.

Crisler Center

The Wolverines are in the midst of hosting a record five opponents inside Crisler Center this season. They have already faced off with Notre Dame (Sept. 14), and will host Penn State there on Sunday (Sept. 30). The three remaining games at Crisler are against Wisconsin (Oct. 26), Minnesota (Oct. 27) and Michigan State (Nov. 24). Michigan broke its attendance record last season with a crowd of 8,137 inside Crisler as the Wolverines defeated rival Ohio State in U-M's Big Ten home opener.