Michigan
Michigan State
U-M to Head to East Lansing with Season Series Split in Sights
10/16/2023 11:54:00 AM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (3-14, 1-7 Big Ten) will continue its three-game road stretch as it heads to East Lansing for a midweek matchup against Michigan State at Breslin Center.
Notes
• Michigan currently sits at 3-14 and 1-7 Big Ten after losing in three sets to Indiana. The Wolverines have had one of the hardest schedules in the nation this season -- ranking 31st in opponent win percentage. U-M's opponents currently hold a 186-109 record.Â
• In the conference, Michigan ranks in the top five in three categories -- aces per set, team attacks per set and team service aces. The Wolverines have 107 service aces on the season for 1.81 aces per set. That total ranks fourth in the conference, and the 1.81 per set ranks second overall and 41st nationally. U-M also ranks second in attacks per set, with 33.98 attacks per set.
• The Wolverines have had a balanced attack this year with five players in the top 50 for the Big Ten Conference in kills per set and join Indiana as the only teams with five in the top 50.
• Kendall Murray leads the team in kills (148) and kills per set (2.51). She is just 35 kills away from setting a new career high, ranking 23rd in the conference in kills per set. Jacque Boney is second on the team in kills with 124 with 2.34 kills per set average. Valentina Vaulet is the third Wolverine with more than 100 kills this season and sits at 115 with 2.21 kills per set. Boney ranks 34th in the conference with Vaulet at 37th. Amalia Simmons is fifth on the team in kills with 85 but fourth in kills per set at 2.02. Serena Nyambio has 94 kills on the season -- and against Indiana tallied six kills -- to pass her total from last year of 89. Nyambio ranks 49th in the conference.  Â
• Five players in the Big Ten have had six or more service aces in a match this season with Michigan having three of them. Most recently, Vaulet had six aces in the four-set win over Northwestern. Murray leads the team in aces with 21 and had six in a five-set loss to Bowling Green. Lydia Johnson has the most for a member of the Big Ten conference with seven in a match which she accomplished in her career debut in the win over Sacred Heart.
• In back-to-back matches, all 13 active players saw action. Seven different Wolverines registered kills in both matches against Minnesota and Indiana. In both matches, nine different players tallied digs. Â
• All four freshmen have made an impact this season. Vaulet is third on the team in kills and is second on the team in aces with 19. Carly Greskovics made her first career start on Oct. 1 against Wisconsin and has appeared in every set since. On the season, Greskovics has 21 digs and four assists. Lydia Johnson appeared in the last two matches after a few matches off and has 46 kills on the season with 21 blocks. Morgan Burke took over the setting duties in the match against Indiana and tallied 18 assists in the match. With 18 in the match, Burke led the team for just the second time in her career and passed 100 for the season.
• Michigan State is 12-7 on the season and 4-4 in Big Ten play. All time, U-M is 51-54 in the all-time series but has won 10 of the last 11 matches. MSU took the most recent matchup on Sept. 22, a 3-0 win in front of 6,569 fans at Crisler Center. Simmons led the team in kills with nine while Mira Chopra led the team in blocks with four. Scottee Johnson led the team in aces (3), assists (14) and digs (6).
