Michigan
Minnesota
Michigan Volleyball Series at No. 5 Minnesota Postponed
2/23/2021 12:32:00 PM | Volleyball
UPDATE (2/24/2021, 2:15 p.m.): Michigan's series at No. 5-ranked Minnesota, scheduled for Friday and Saturday (Feb. 26-27), has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. The decision to postpone the matches was mutually agreed upon out of an abundance of caution surrounding the health and safety of the participants. The institutions will work with the Big Ten Conference to identify potential rescheduling options later this season.
» Jess Robinson ranks fourth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.419), while Paige Jones checks in at No. 4 in the league in kills per set (3.82).
» U-M boasts a pair of student-athletes that hail from the state of Minnesota in juniors Kayla Bair and Grace Persson.
» The status of head coach Mark Rosen and associate head coach Leisa Rosen will be determined later in the week. Both are following CDC contact tracing protocol.
THIS WEEK
Friday, Feb. 26 -- at No. 5 Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 4 p.m. CST
TV: ESPNU | Live Video | Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 27 -- at No. 5 Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 4 p.m. CST
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats
• Complete Notes (PDF)
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The University of Michigan volleyball team (2-3, 2-3 B1G) hits the road to take on the No. 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 26-27). Both matches will commence at 4 p.m. CST from Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, Minn. Friday's contest will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, while Saturday's matchup will be streamed on Big Ten Network+.
Wolverine Bites
• Junior Paige Jones leads the team in kills per set (3.82), ranking fourth in the conference. She is joined in the top 10 in the category by freshman Jess Mruzik (3.55), who comes in at No. 9. Jones is also No. 4 in attacks per set (10.91) and Mruzik is fifth (10.64).
• In hitting percentage, sophomore Jess Robinson ranks fourth in the league (.419), while junior Kayla Bair is ninth (.365). Redshirt freshman Hannah Grant checks in at No. 4 in the league in digs per set (4.14), while Jones is also past the 50-dig plateau with 57 (2.59/set).
• In team rankings, U-M leads the Big Ten and ranks No. 21 nationally in assists per set (13.27). U-M is No. 14 nationally in kills per set and second in the conference at 14.41. Michigan also leads the league in attacks per set (38.41), a number that is good for 30th nationally.
• A pair of Wolverines hail from the state of Minnesota: Kayla Bair (Prior Lake) and Grace Persson (Eden Prairie).
• Due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocol, the status of both head coach Mark Rosen and associate head coach Leisa Rosen is yet to be determined for this weekend and will be updated later in the week. Both staff members are following protocols established by the CDC. In their stead, assistant coach Jerome Fraisse could serve as head coach, as he did in the recent weekend set vs. Maryland.
Opponent Preview
Minnesota
All-time series against the Golden Gophers: Michigan trails, 53-16
Minnesota (9-1, 9-1 B1G) enters the weekend ranked No. 5 in the AVCA poll and is coming off a split of two matches at No. 4 Nebraska. The Gophers holds sweeps against Michigan State, Maryland, Purdue and Penn State. Stephanie Samedy leads the offense with 172 kills (4.53/set), while Melanie Shaffmaster has 368 assists (9.68/set). The defense is paced by Adanna Rollins with 111 digs (3.17/set), while Regan Pittman has 46 blocks (1.21/set).
Up Next
Friday, March 5 -- at Rutgers (New Brunswick, N.J.), 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 6 -- at Rutgers (New Brunswick, N.J.), 4 p.m.
