ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan volleyball team (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) travels for a midweek match and then returns home to wrap up the weekend. The Wolverines first play No. 3 Penn State (20-1, 10-0 Big Ten) on Wednesday (October 30) at 7:30 PM ET before taking on No. 15 Minnesota (14-6, 7-3 Big Ten ) at 2:00 PM ET on Sunday (November 3). The game with Penn State will air on Big Ten Network and the game against Minnesota will air on Big Ten Plus.

Comments

• Michigan is currently receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll. Last weekend, the Wolverines swept Iowa in straight sets – winning the first set 25-16 – with the help of many scoring runs. Both teams managed to keep it close in the next two sets, but UM kept the lead each time and won the second set 25-20 and the third set 25-18. On Saturday, UM took the first set over Nebraska by a score of 28-26, but the Cornhuskers secured the next three to win the match.

• Graduate student Allison Jacobs leads Michigan in kills with 334 on the season and is also third in the Big Ten. In addition to her kills, Jacobs has recorded 164 digs, 38 blocks and five aces. Jacobs has reached double figures in 19 straight games, and 20 of 21 this season. This past weekend she had 33 kills, 11 digs and 36.0 points in two matches.

• In its second season, Morgan Burke is averaging 10.12 assists per set for seventh in the Big Ten. Additionally, she has 810 assists on the season, which is third in the conference and 32nd in the NCAA. Outside of her assists, Burke has amassed 23 aces and 196 digs, both of which rank second on the team – and also has 26 blocks. She has recorded 30 or more assists in 17 of 21 games, 40 or more in nine games and 50 or more in four games. After notching another 67 this past weekend, Burke now ranks 13th for most career assists in the program with 1,298 – breaking Autumn Collins and Mara Martin.

• With 49 aces in the season, Valentina Valet is one of the best servers in the country. Vaulet is averaging 0.68 aces per set, which ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation – and her 49 aces rank second in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation. In addition to her aces, as a six-rotation player, Vaulet has recorded 215 kills, 154 digs and 41 blocks – all new season highs that exceed her freshman year totals.

• Senior Libero Maddi Cuchran is an asset in the backcourt this season. She leads the team with 321 digs and averages 4.01 digs per set, which is almost double her average from last season. She has also added 93 assists this season after just 36 in her first three seasons. Cuchran ranks third in the Big Ten in both digs per set and total digs. This season, Cuchran started every match as the team’s libero and played in all 80 sets.

• In her senior season, Jacque Boney has performed well on the net this year. So far, she has 147 kills on a .288 hitting percentage and 69 total blocks (seven solo and 62 assists). Boney has scored 185 points this season, which is a career high of 923 points. She recently surpassed 700 career kills and is tied for 13th with Nicole Poquette for total career kills in program history at 363.

• With a team-leading .377 hitting percentage and 0.99 blocks per set, junior Serena Nyambio is having an impressive season. Nyambio is sixth in the conference in hitting percentage and 37th in the NCAA. On the season, she has 154 total kills with only 32 errors on 324 attacks, and has 12 solo blocks and 64 block assists to her name. Nyambio has never made more than five errors in a match this season, and she has gone clear in five matches.

• As a true freshman, Ella Demetrician has had a big impact for the Wolverines this season. She has recorded 136 kills, 120 digs and 14 aces. She has recorded double-digit kills in four matches, and has also added 12 assists and 18 blocks in her matches. Demetrician has started the last seven straight games after not starting three games at the start of Big Ten play.

• No. 3 Penn State is currently 20-1 on the season and 10-0 in the Big Ten Conference. The Nittany Lions have lost just fourteen sets and have remained near the top of the standings this season. Last weekend, Penn State won matches against UCLA and USC in five sets. Michigan is 6-56 all-time against the Nittany Lions, with three wins over UM in the last decade, including a three-set sweep in 2022.

• No. No. 15 Minnesota enters the weekend at 14-6 and 7-3 in the Big Ten. In conference play, the Golden Gophers’ only losses were to ranked teams: Purdue, USC and Penn State. Some of their notable victories include five-set wins over Texas and Wisconsin. UM is behind in the all-time series against Minnesota. 17-61, with her most recent win a five-set match in 2021.