Michigan to Wrap Two-Match Road Swing at Illinois

» Michigan takes on Illinois on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 23) in Champaign.
» The Wolverines look for their first 2-0 week of Big Ten action this season.
» U-M volunteer assistant and former All-American Ali Bastianelli returns to her alma mater.

THIS WEEK
Saturday, Oct. 23 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 3 p.m. CDT
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (12-6, 5-4 Big Ten) wraps its Big Ten Conference road trip with a stop in Champaign to take on Illinois (13-7, 5-4 Big Ten) on Saturday (Oct. 23) at 3 p.m. CDT in Huff Hall. The match will be broadcast on B1G+.

Wolverine Bites

• Saturday will serve as a homecoming for freshman Mira Chopra, who hails from Champaign and attended Champaign Central.

• It also will mark a return for U-M volunteer assistant Ali Bastianelli, who played for the Illini from 2015-18. The Marysville, Mich., native was a two-time AVCA All-American third teamer, an All-Big Ten first team member, and a crucial component of the Illinois squad that made the national semi-final in 2018.

• Though the Wolverines trail the all-time series with the Illini, they have had a run of success of late, winning five of the last seven matchups -- including both matches the last time the teams faced off in 2019.

• The Big Ten has seven programs represented in the Top 30 of the NCAA RPI. Wisconsin (No. 4) leads all teams, followed by Purdue (No. 7) Ohio State (No. 8), Nebraska (No. 14), Penn State (No. 21), Minnesota (No. 22) and Michigan (No. 26). The Wolverines' Saturday opponent, Illinois, ranks 35th.

• Junior May Pertofsky has once again taken the Big Ten lead in aces per set, averaging 0.54 per set on the season. The Los Angeles, Calif., native had four aces against Maryland on Friday (Oct. 15) and came back Saturday (Oct. 16) to ace No. 3 Wisconsin three times. Pertofsky leads the conference in both aces per set and total aces (35) on the campaign. The opposite hitter's 16 aces in Big Ten play are nearly halfway to the U-M record of 33 for aces in conference play set by Fiona Davidson in 1992.

• Several other Wolverines are ranked in the Big Ten's top 10 in statistical categories, as redshirt sophomore Hannah Grant is eighth in digs per set (4.03) while sophomore Jess Mruzik sits ninth in kills per set (3.52) and 10th in points per set (4.10). Fellow sophomore Scottee Johnson is 10th in assists per set (9.57) and senior Paige Jones has cracked the top 10 in kills per set at No. 10 (3.48).

• Michigan ranks in the top half of the Big Ten in several team categories as well, sitting in third in service aces (1.66), fourth in opponent kills (11.57) and opponent blocks (1.87), sixth in digs (14.63) and hitting percentage (.246) and seventh in blocks per set (2.38).

• Former All-American Lexi Zimmerman will become the second volleyball alumna and first of the modern era to be inducted to the U-M Hall of Honor this weekend. The Barrington, Illinois native was a four-year letterwinner, a three-time All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, and is the only Michigan volleyball player to earn AVCA All-America recognition in each of her four seasons for the Maize and Blue. Zimmerman holds the Wolverines' career record for assists (5,903) as well as the single season mark (1,685).

Last Time Out

• Michigan ran its win streak over Indiana to four Wednesday night (Oct. 20), defeating the Hoosiers in straight sets in Bloomington. Senior Paige Jones led the way with a personal-best performance, finishing with 15 kills on 27 attacks with no errors. Her .556 attack percentage set a new career-high.

• The Wolverines hit .392 in their victory over Indiana, their highest team hitting percentage against a Big Ten opponent since hitting .463 against Rutgers during the 2019 season. U-M's seven errors were its lowest against any opponent since having five against Maryland in 2013.

• Michigan had eight service aces against the Hoosiers, marking the third time in Big Ten play this season they have had eight aces. The Wolverines also accomplished the feat against Minnesota and Maryland. Sophomore Jess Mruzik tied a career-high with four against IU.

Opponent Preview

Illinois
Michigan trails the series 50-28

After not playing one another in the spring, Michigan and Illinois do battle for the first of two times this season on Saturday. The Wolverines trail the all-time series but won both matches during the 2019 season, upending the ranked Illini in Huff Hall and Cliff Keen Arena, each in four sets.

Sophomore outside hitter Raina Terry paces the Illini with a 3.15 kills-per-set average and also ranks fourth in the Big Ten in aces per set with a 0.42 mark. Redshirt junior Diana Brown has orchestrated the offense from the setter spot, averaging 9.87 assists per set while Illinois is hitting .215 as a team. Libero Taylor Kuper is fifth in the Big Ten with a 4.33 digs-per-set average, and junior Kyla Swanson leads the team in blocks with a 1.15 average.

Illinois is among teams receiving votes in the AVCA poll having received 21 votes in the latest edition of the poll released Monday (Oct. 18). The Illini won three straight five-set thrillers to open Big Ten play, including an epic road win at No. 4 Purdue. Since then they are just 2-4 with their four losses coming to Purdue, Nebraska and Wisconsin twice.

Up Next

Friday, Oct. 29 -- vs. Ohio State (Crisler Center), 7 p.m. (Blue Out)