The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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68 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2018 OLYMPIC SPORTS FALL PREVIEW Don't Miss: Aug. 25-26 against North Carolina and Wake Forest, re- spectively, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Wolverines will be trying to duplicate last year 's season-opening success, when they swept the two perennial powers when the Tar Heels were No. 1 and the Demon Deacons No. 15. MEN'S SOCCER First Event: Aug. 24, vs. Tulsa Big Ten Predicted Finish: 2nd-4th NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Sec- ond round Coach's Expectations: "We're still trying to shape our group, and building up our resiliency is a goal," Chaka Daley said. "We can't let com- placency set in, and have to under- stand that we're still growing. We had a successful season last year, but now we must learn to maintain that success and create some consistency. "Our guys want to chase a cham- pionship again, and we have strong ambitions to do that. We felt like we left some chips on the table last year in the NCAA Tournament, and we don't think we exhausted our poten- tial. We want to reach the postseason again and hit that potential." Top Player: Senior midfielder Rob- bie Mertz was the only Wolverine to start every match last season, and he led the team in minutes played (1,755). He tallied three goals and two assists on the year, and was named a second- team All-Big Ten performer as a result. "We expect him to continue to grow and lead the way for us," Daley said. Athlete To Watch: Sophomore de- fender Jackson Ragen started 10 of the 16 matches he appeared in last season as a freshman, and totaled six shots. "Jackson will be both a central de- fender and a midfield player for us," Daley revealed. "I think he'll start more games than he did last year, and will be a big contributor going forward." Don't Miss: Oct. 23 at Michigan State. It's the next to last game of the regular season for Michigan and should once again have major conference title impli- cations (U-M won the league last year with a 6-1-1 record, while MSU finished in a tie for second at 5-0-3). WOMEN'S SOCCER First Event: Aug. 16, vs. Boston U. Big Ten Predicted Finish: 7th NCAA Best-Case Scenario: First round Coach's Expectations: "There is an expectation of excellence and to win championships at Michigan," first-year head coach Jennifer Klein observed. "Our motto for this year is 'Our Team Can,' and we'll be chang- ing styles a bit. "We want to be more of an attack- ing team that dictates play on both sides of the ball." Top Players: Fifth-year senior for- ward Taylor Timko emerged as a sec- ond-team All-Big Ten defender last season after she finished third on the squad in points with 10, while senior forward Reilly Martin led last year's group in points (17) and goals (six). "Taylor and Reilly have really emerged and put a lot of expectations on themselves," Klein noted. "They want to put the team on their back and push the group to be successful." Athlete To Watch: Goalkeeper Izzy Nino redshirted last year as a fresh- man, but will take on an expanded role during her first season of action in 2018. "Nino is going to have to step up with [sophomore goalkeeper] Hill- ary Beall's commitment to the U-20 World Cup Team," Klein explained. "She's shown a lot of promise in our preseason training, though." Don't Miss: Aug. 16 against Boston University. The Wolverines welcome the perennial powerhouse Terriers to Ann Arbor in what will officially kick off the Klein era at Michigan. VOLLEYBALL First Event: Aug. 25, vs. High Point (in Auburn, Ala.) Big Ten Predicted Finish: 3rd-6th N C A A B e s t - C a s e S c e n a r i o : Sweet 16 Coach's Expectations: "This is the best conference in the country, and our goal is to win the champion- ship and be atop the league," head coach Mark Rosen said. "That's lofty, knowing that eight of the last 10 na- tional championships have been won by the Big Ten. "But that's where we expect to be, and that's what we're striving for." Top Player: Senior outside hitter Carly Skjodt started all 33 matches last season, and led the team in kills 23 different times. "Our best returner is undoubt- edly Carly," Rosen noted. "She was a third-team All-American last year and a captain, and has been a great leader for us. Not only is she a heck of an athlete, but also one of the more physical players in the country. "Carly is a complete player — she's a great server and passer, and really just does everything well. It's hard to find that nowadays, because it's a dying breed in our game — players specialize in certain areas, but she's an old-school athlete who can do it all." Athlete To Watch: Redshirt junior middle blocker Cori Crocker led the team in blocks 15 times last year, while also leading in kills once. "Cori is still waiting to break out," Rosen observed. "She has started the last two years and has been a good player for us, but battled injuries all of last season and was limited in how much she could practice. "She still had a good year, but it wasn't to the level she's capable of. I would love to see Cori reach her potential in 2018." Don't Miss: Sept. 14 against Notre Dame. The Wolverines will host the Irish inside the Crisler Center, in a match that will be televised nation- ally by the Big Ten Network. ❏ Senior opposite hitter Carly Skjodt was named a third-team All-American last year. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY