It will be a battle of best friends tonight as the Michigan volleyball team welcomes Toledo to Cliff Keen Arena. Michigan coach Mark Rosen and Toledo coach Kent Miller each served as the best man at each other’s weddings, but for two hours, starting at 7 p.m. tonight, they will put all that aside.
Michigan is 12-0 against Toledo in the series history, and will be looking to keep the undefeated streak alive. The Wolverines come in with a 5-3 record, and are trying to snap a two-match losing streak. Toledo is also on a two-match losing streak, and will have nothing to lose.
“They’re one of those teams that will play like crazy against us because it’s a chance to knock off a Big Ten team,” Rosen said.
The Wolverines are coming off of a tough weekend, in which they lost to two top-25 teams in Santa Clara and Nebraska.
“I was pleased with how we played against Nebraska, but I’m not pleased with the way we played against Santa Clara,” Rosen said. “I just felt like we were a better team, and let that match slip away.”
Toledo boasts a senior-laden front line, and a nasty service game that Michigan will have to be wary of.
“One thing they typically do is that they serve the ball very aggressively,” Rosen said. “It will be a good challenge for our ball-control game.”
The Wolverines will counter with a balanced and consistent attack that includes the strong play of junior captain Erin Moore, who continues to shine in every aspect of the game.
“She’s doing a great job of stepping into the leadership role as a captain,” Rosen said of Moore, who just missed a triple-double against Santa Clara.
Adding intrigue to the matchup is the chance that Michigan’s Nicole Poquette will face her sister Chelsey, who is a freshman at Toledo.
With the nonconference schedule almost over, the Wolverines are looking forward to a inspired Big Ten season. One of the reasons why the future looks bright is what Michigan has been able to do up to this point.
“We haven’t made a lot of unforced errors, I like our defense, and we’ll play a lot of good pursuit defense,” Rosen said.
Also contributing is Michigan’s newly crowned all-time leader in block assists Katrina Lehman, who is just 18 blocks away from the school record for career blocks. As the lone senior, Lehman has been a stabilizing force up front, continually producing the defense needed for the team to win games.