Torrid spikers prepare for No. 8 Minnesota

By Eric Powell

Daily Sports Writer

Rankings are not of a concern for the Michigan volleyball team anymore.

Riding a four-game win streak, including consecutive victories over ranked conference foes No. 25 Michigan State and No. 13 Ohio State, the Wolverines hope to keep the momentum going into their final four matches of the regular season.

"After the mid-season losing streak, we knew that lineup changes had to be made," Michigan coach Mark Rosen said.

"We made them, and now we are clicking, playing with enthusiasm, and competing well. Now we have momentum again."

But a 6-1 powerhouse awaits the rolling Wolverines on the other side of the net tomorrow in Minneapolis. Minnesota's senior Nicole Branaugh has dominated Big Ten opponents this season with pure athleticism and strength. Branaugh leads the Big Ten with 5.57 kills per match, including an average of eight kills a game last week, earning her co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors.

"Nicole is definitely the force on that team," Rosen said. "She is tearing teams apart single handedly."

As for containing Branaugh, Rosen will match up sophomore Nicole Poquette against her at the net.

Rosen also intends to focus on strategic serving this week to keep the ball away from Branaugh and earn the Wolverines some quick points.

"Being consistent is the bottom line," Rosen said. "We need to limit our errors, stop Branaugh at the net, and just keep improving throughout the match."

The Wolverines will look for big performances from senior leader Sarah Behnke and junior Katrina Lehman, who have hot hands as of late.

Both performed well during the two latest home victories over the Spartans and the Buckeyes. Rosen said he hopes to get a spark from freshman middle-blocker Erin Moore as well.

"Our senior leaders are definitely providing us with intensity and direction," Rosen said.

The remaining four matches are pivotal for Michigan's NCAA tournament hopes. Although the Wolverines close with No. 4 Wisconsin at home, the final two road matches provide tough competition for the Wolverines.

"Even though Minnesota is ranked No. 8 and has a great team, our final road match at Iowa will decide our postseason fate," Rosen said.

"We need to pull out two in a row if we want to make it to the tournament."