Duke Welcomes Michigan, Michigan State

DURHAM – The Duke volleyball team is set to welcome Michigan and Michigan State to Cameron Indoor Stadium for two matches this weekend. The Blue Devils will take on the Wolverines Friday at 6:30p.m., before the Spartans Saturday with first serve at 6:30p.m.
 
Both matches will be streamed on ACCNX with Christina Lingley (Friday) and Brittany Hoyt (Saturday) as analysts while Chris Edwards will do play-by-play for both matches.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Duke volleyball team secured its fifth consecutive win Tuesday by defeating Elon, 3-1 (25-16, 24-26, 25-20, 25-21), at the Schar Center. The Blue Devils were led offensively by Gracie Johnson with 13 kills, followed by Rachel Richardson and Lizzie Fleming with 11 each. Fleming also paced the unit at the net with six blocks while Rylie Kadel and Moorea Wood each added three. Setter Devon Chang dished 42 assists, her sixth 40+ assist match this season, while libero Nikki Underwood tallied 21 digs.
 
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SERIES
MICHIGAN
Michigan leads the all-time series 5-1 and have won the last five matchups. The Blue Devils are 1-2 at home. The Wolverines captured a 3-2 victory a season ago in Ann Arbor.

MICHIGAN STATE

Michigan State leads the all-time series 3-1 and has won the last two meetings. The two teams were scheduled to play last season in East Lansing, but had to cancel due to health and safety protocols within the Michigan State program.

 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

MICHIGAN

Michigan is 6-0 heading into Friday’s match. After six matches, the Wolverines are ranked fifth in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.326) and ninth in kills per set (14.76). Michigan leads the Big Ten in assists per set with 13.71 and is second in hitting percentage. Jess Robinson leads the NCAA and the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.568), and Kendall Murray is ninth in the Big Ten, hitting .380. Jess Mruzik is seventh in the conference in kills per set, averaging 3.76. She has recorded 79 kills over the course of six matches, which leads Michigan in that category.

MICHIGAN STATE

Michigan State is off to its best start since 2012, sitting at 6-0 through the first two weeks of competition. Graduate student Rebecka Poljan was named tournament MVP of the Kristen Dickmann Invitational, while freshmen Evie Doezema and Maradith O’Gorman were named to the All-Tournament Team. Poljan…