Lost in all the excitement of the football teams crushing victory over PSU were some big storylines for some of the non-revenue sports teams from this weekend. Here's a quick recap.
Women's Volleyball:
After losing 2 starters to injury, the Wolverines had hit a rough patch, losing 4 out of 5. Things didn't appear to look much rosier as they travelled to Madison to face the #5 Badgers. Things looked even less rosy after they dropped the first game. But the Michigan team put on display the heart they've been showing all season and rallied in front of a packed Wisconsin stadium to win the next 3 games. A huge win, that should allow them to finish either 12-8 or 13-7 in conference...and keeps them on pace to possibly host for the first 2 rounds of the national tournament. If this team can get healthy, they are a legit top 10 team that could potentially make a lot of noise in the tournament.
Men's Soccer:
A low RPI score has this team on the bubble heading into the Big Ten tourney. An opening round win against PSU was an absolute must. The Wolverines delivered with a convincing 3-1 victory. As the have been all season Farouk-Osman (2 goals) and Hallihan (1 goal) were the difference makers. I think U of M will be in now even if they lose to Wisconsin next, but it will be a little dicey. Beat Wisconsin and I don't see any possible way that they don't make the tourney.
Women's Field Hockey:
For the 4th straight year, the field hockey team received a bid to the national tournament. It was a given that they would make it, just a matter of seeding. They ended up drawing St. Joseph's in the first round, which should be a very winnable game. If they advance, they'll likely face the #1 seed North Carolina in the round of 8. That would be a very tough game, but Michigan has shown they're talented enough to hang with anyone. It'd be an upset victory, but they're capable of pulling it off. Especially if they can tighten up the defense just a little. Regardless of what happens in the post-season, they managed to add another Big 10 regular season title to the trophy case this year, so it's been another great year for one of Michigan's most unheralded programs.
That's it for now. Post-season is coming up.
Women's Volleyball:
After losing 2 starters to injury, the Wolverines had hit a rough patch, losing 4 out of 5. Things didn't appear to look much rosier as they travelled to Madison to face the #5 Badgers. Things looked even less rosy after they dropped the first game. But the Michigan team put on display the heart they've been showing all season and rallied in front of a packed Wisconsin stadium to win the next 3 games. A huge win, that should allow them to finish either 12-8 or 13-7 in conference...and keeps them on pace to possibly host for the first 2 rounds of the national tournament. If this team can get healthy, they are a legit top 10 team that could potentially make a lot of noise in the tournament.
Men's Soccer:
A low RPI score has this team on the bubble heading into the Big Ten tourney. An opening round win against PSU was an absolute must. The Wolverines delivered with a convincing 3-1 victory. As the have been all season Farouk-Osman (2 goals) and Hallihan (1 goal) were the difference makers. I think U of M will be in now even if they lose to Wisconsin next, but it will be a little dicey. Beat Wisconsin and I don't see any possible way that they don't make the tourney.
Women's Field Hockey:
For the 4th straight year, the field hockey team received a bid to the national tournament. It was a given that they would make it, just a matter of seeding. They ended up drawing St. Joseph's in the first round, which should be a very winnable game. If they advance, they'll likely face the #1 seed North Carolina in the round of 8. That would be a very tough game, but Michigan has shown they're talented enough to hang with anyone. It'd be an upset victory, but they're capable of pulling it off. Especially if they can tighten up the defense just a little. Regardless of what happens in the post-season, they managed to add another Big 10 regular season title to the trophy case this year, so it's been another great year for one of Michigan's most unheralded programs.
That's it for now. Post-season is coming up.
