Michigan Gets Easier Draw in Big Ten Play in 2017 Than 2016

The Michigan Wolverines have released their schedule for the upcoming 2017 NCAA season.

They kick off their season with four tourneys going back-to-back-to-back-to-back, four weekends in a row, with two being played at home in Ann Arbor and two away. They’ll begin on August 25th facing off with USC, Loyola Marymount, and Albany in Los Angeles, turning around the next weekend to host the Michigan Invitational featuring Butler, UNH, and Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Michigan will hit the road once more to take on Idaho State, Colorado State, and Ball State at CSU in Fort Collins before returning home once more for the Michigan Challenge, hosting Wisconsin-Milwaukee, NC State, and Cincinnati.

Sophomore setter MacKenzi Welsh will lead the Wolverines this year after they finished with a 24-11 (11-9 B1G) record. Their regular conference season will get started on Sept. 22nd at Minnesota, a formidable matchup against the NCAA semi-finalists from last year. They’ll take on dangerous B1G teams Wisconsin, Penn State, and Nebraska later on in the fall.

The Wolverines got a tough draw in the unbalanced Big Ten schedule last season, having to play Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan State twice each. That’s four of the top five teams in the conference. This year, they play Minnesota and Michigan State twice, but they only play Wisconsin, Nebraska and Michigan State once. Other double dips in conference play include Ohio State, Illinois, Maryland, and Purdue.

The first round of the NCAA tournament begins on November 30th.

The Wolverines finished 11-9 in the Big Ten last season, which was good for 6th place. They advanced to the 3rd round of the NCAA tournament (the Sweet 16), where they eventually fell 3-2 to Creighton.

Scheduled Games

• USC/LMU INVITE

  • AUG 25 (FRI) 11:00 AM PT

    VS ALBANY

    LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
  • AUG 25 (FRI) 8:00 PM PT

    AT USC

    LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
  • AUG 26 (SAT) 7:00 PM PT

    AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

    LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

• MICHIGAN INVITATIONAL

  • SEP 1 (FRI) 7:30 PM

    VS BUTLER

    ANN ARBOR, MICH.
  • SEP 2 (SAT) 1:00 PM

    VS NEW HAMPSHIRE

    ANN ARBOR, MICH.
  • SEP 2 (SAT) 7:30 PM

    VS UW GREEN BAY

    ANN ARBOR, MICH.

• CSU INVITATIONAL

  • SEP 8 (FRI) 10:00 AM MT

    VS IDAHO STATE

    FORT COLLINS, COLO.
  • SEP 8 (FRI) 6:00 PM MT

    AT COLORADO STATE

    FORT COLLINS, COLO.
  • SEP 10 (SUN) 10:00 AM MT

    VS BALL STATE

    FORT COLLINS, COLO.

• MICHIGAN CHALLENGE

  • SEP 15 (FRI) 7:30 PM

    VS NC STATE

    ANN ARBOR, MICH.
  • SEP 16 (SAT) 11:00 AM

    VS UW MILWAUKEE

    ANN ARBOR, MICH.
  • SEP 16 (SAT) 7:30 PM

    VS CINCINNATI

    ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• SEP 22 (FRI) 7:00 PM CT

  BIG TEN AT MINNESOTA

  MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
• SEP 24 (SUN) 2:00 PM CT

  BIG TEN AT WISCONSIN

  MADISON, WIS.
• SEP 29 (FRI) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS OHIO STATE

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• SEP 30 (SAT) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS MARYLAND

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• OCT 4 (WED) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN AT IOWA

  IOWA CITY, IOWA
• OCT 7 (SAT) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS MINNESOTA

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• OCT 13 (FRI) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN AT RUTGERS

  NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.
• OCT 14 (SAT) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN AT PENN STATE

  STATE COLLEGE, PA.
• OCT 18 (WED) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN AT MICHIGAN STATE

  EAST LANSING, MICH.
• OCT 22 (SUN) 1:00 PM

  BIG TEN AT OHIO STATE

  COLUMBUS, OHIO
• OCT 27 (FRI) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS IOWA

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• OCT 29 (SUN) 1:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS NEBRASKA

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• NOV 1 (WED) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS RUTGERS

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• NOV 4 (SAT) 7:00 PM CT

  BIG TEN AT ILLINOIS

  CHAMPAIGN, ILL.
• NOV 10 (FRI) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS NORTHWESTERN

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• NOV 11 (SAT) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS ILLINOIS

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• NOV 15 (WED) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS MICHIGAN STATE

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• NOV 18 (SAT) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN VS PURDUE

  ANN ARBOR, MICH.
• NOV 24 (FRI) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN AT INDIANA

  BLOOMINGTON, IND.
• NOV 25 (SAT) 7:00 PM

  BIG TEN AT PURDUE

  WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.

• NCAA FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS

  • NOV 30 (THU) TBD

    AT NCAA FIRST ROUND

    TBD
  • DEC 1 (FRI) TBD

    AT NCAA FIRST/SECOND ROUND

    TBD
  • DEC 2 (SAT) TBD

    AT NCAA SECOND ROUND

    TBD

• NCAA REGIONALS

  • DEC 8 (FRI) TBD

    AT NCAA REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

    TBD
  • DEC 9 (SAT) TBD

    AT NCAA REGIONAL FINALS

    TBD

• NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

  • DEC 14 (THU) TBD

    AT NCAA NATIONAL SEMIFINALS

    KANSAS CITY, MO.
  • DEC 16 (SAT) TBD

    AT NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

    KANSAS CITY, MO