Coming off its first victory since Oct. 16 in East Lansing Friday, the IU volleyball team hopes to carry the momentum it gained against Michigan State into today's match in Ann Arbor against No. 14 Michigan.
A preview of the second match of the weekend for the Hoosiers (15-14, 4-11), who square off against the Wolverines (21-7, 9-6):
When they last met
Michigan swept IU in Bloomington on Sept. 25, winning by scores of 25-17, 25-16 and 25-23.
Where they stand now
The Wolverines are the No. 14 team in the country and are tied with Ohio State for fourth in the Big Ten, each boasting a 9-6 conference mark.
The Hoosiers are now tied with Michigan State and Purdue for eighth in the conference at 4-11. With their win last night, IU jumped Iowa and Purdue by virtue of head-to-head and total season wins, respectively.
Keys to the match
IU coach Sherry Dunbar said before the previous meeting with Michigan that the Wolverines are among the elite serving teams in the nation. They lead the Big Ten with 177 aces and a 1.70 per-game average.
The Hoosiers need to be ready for each Michigan server, particularly sophomore Alex Hunt and senior Juliana Paz, who rank third and fourth in the Big Ten with 0.47 and 0.41 aces per game, respectively. Dunbar said IU also needs to be aggressive on offense and match the Wolverines' efficiency.
Michigan can hit and serve as well as any team in the Big Ten and in the nation, but they face an IU team that is capable of producing in both areas as well. The Wolverines will need to be ready for the Hoosiers' best effort as they ride a wave of momentum from snapping a seven-match losing streak.
