SEATTLE — The final home week of the season has arrived for the University of Washington Huskies volleyball, who host two must-win matches this Thursday and Saturday at Alaska Airlines Arena. Washington (11-15, 6-10 Big Ten) needs to win out to finish at .500 and have a shot at NCAA tournament inclusion.  

The Dawgs host two teams also pursuing postseason bids in Michigan and UCLA, with the Wolverines coming in on Thursday and UCLA on Saturday for Senior Night. Both visiting teams are 9-7 in conference play, and both are receiving votes in the AVCA coaches poll but outside the top-25. First serve for both matches this week will be 7 p.m. and Big Ten Plus will live stream both. 

On Saturday, for Senior Night, the Huskies will honor a class of four in a ceremony before the start of the match. Seniors Zoria Heard, Alexa Markley, Taylor Simpson, as well as fourth-year junior Elise Hani, will be saluted.  

Heard has developed into one of the Big Ten's top liberos this year in her second year at Washington and first year in the libero role for UW. She ranks second in the Big Ten in digs per set and went over 1,000 career digs Nov. 2 at UCLA. Before joining the Huskies, Heard spent two years at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. 

Markley has been a big contributor in her one year as a Dawg. A National Champion last year at Penn State, Markley graduated in just three years in Happy Valley and has been able to make her mark as a starter in every match for the Dawgs. Markley is second on the team in kills this season with 286. She has nearly matched her three-year total of kills from Penn State (306) in her one year at UW. 

Simpson joined the Huskies for her fifth season after four years at Colorado, where she started for three seasons and totaled over 3,000 career assists. Simpson ranks second on the Huskies this year in assists with 156 and has seen more time on court in the past couple of weeks as part of a setting rotation with Alexis Haury. Her leadership and work ethic have been unwavering during her time in Seattle. 

Hani is a redshirt junior but will take part in Senior Night as well. A local product from Kirkland, Hani has been a key vocal leader for the Dawgs and made an impact whether she's starting on the court or working behind the scenes in practice. Hani has started the past eight matches in the middle, and she has been posting the best numbers of her career in terms of kills per set (1.26) and attack percentage (.286). 

Last time out, the Huskies fought for a five-set road win at Northwestern, which snapped a four-match skid. UW hit an efficient .346 and held Northwestern to .195, but it still took a late run from 8 to 10 in the fifth set, winning seven of the final eight points to put away the Wildcats, 15-11. Simona Mateska and Kierstyn Barton had 17 kills apiece in the win, which kept open a path back to .500. 

The Wolverines are 9-7 in league play and 19-8 overall, in a four-way tie for sixth. Last week, Michigan swept rivals Michigan State and Ohio State. Michigan is fourth in the league in attack percentage in B1G matches at .265 and has held opponents to .213. Allison Jacobs has been leading the Wolverines with 3.61 kills per set in conference, hitting .245 with 2.25 digs per set. Serena Nyambio has been one of the top middles with 1.39 blocks per set, 1.90 kills per set, and a .385 attack percentage. Maddi Cuchran averages 3.36 digs per set. 

UCLA is also tied for sixth in the conference at 9-7 and is 15-11 overall. Last week, the Bruins snapped No. 1 Nebraska's streak of 48 consecutive sets won, but the Bruins still came up short in four sets. They then swept Rutgers.  

Like the Huskies, they had a five-set win over Northwestern back Nov. 8. UW and UCLA have nearly identical attack percentages in conference play. UCLA is hitting .222 and holding teams to .199, while UW is hitting .223 and holding opponents to .201. The Bruins lead the league with 14.93 digs per set. 

Senior Cheridyn Leverette ranks fifth in conference with 4.00 kills per set, hitting .255. Setter Kate Duffey is fifth in assists per set at 10.59, and libero Lola Schumacher leads the league with 4.46 digs per set. Middle Mariana Singletary averages 2.36 kills per set hitting .307 with 1.36 blocks per set. UW lost in four sets down at UCLA in the first meeting this season and the Bruins have now won five straight against the Huskies. 

The Huskies will host Michigan on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. and UCLA on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at Alaska Airlines Arena.