U-M to Open Season at Tribute to #10 in Cincinnati

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan volleyball group (0-0) will begin the season with a highway journey to Cincinnati, Ohio, to play within the Tribute to #10 Tournament. U-M’s season opener comes on Saturday (Aug. 30) towards Wake Forest (0-0) at 3 p.m. earlier than taking part in host Cincinnati on Sunday (Aug. 31) at 1 p.m. Both matches will probably be streamed stay on ESPN+ inside Fifth Third Arena.

Notes

• Last season, U-M was 18-13 with an 8-12 Big Ten file, ending tenth within the convention. All 9 groups forward of the Wolverines made the NCAA Tournament. Michigan began the season 9-0 and improved to 12-1 by way of September. U-M pulled off Big Ten wins towards Michigan State, Rutgers, UCLA, Ohio State, Washington, Iowa, Maryland and Northwestern.

• The Wolverines return 5 starters from final season and 13 gamers in complete. U-M will get again its chief in kills, blocks, digs and assists from final season — the one group within the Big Ten to take action and one in every of three Power Four groups. Michigan’s returners are comprised of two graduate college students, one senior, one redshirt-junior, three juniors, 4 sophomores and two redshirt-freshmen.

• Entering her sixth collegiate season, Allison Jacobs is again after her finest season statistically. Jacobs led the Wolverines with 335 kills on a .243 hitting share and was fourth on the group in digs with 186. She tallied double-digit kills in 19 of the primary 20 matches earlier than she suffered an damage. She earned All-Big Ten first group and All-Big Ten Preseason honors.

• Junior setter Morgan Burke gained the beginning job halfway by way of her freshman 12 months and led the best way with 1,168 assists final season — greater than 1,000 to the subsequent closest Wolverine. Burke has racked up 1,656 complete assists throughout her two seasons and is simply 25 from coming into the highest 10 in program historical past.

• Senior center blocker Serena Nyambio performed in 30 of 31 matches final season and 82 over her three-year profession. Last season, she totaled 14 solo blocks, 100 block assists for a team-leading 114 complete blocks. Nyambio additionally tallied 203 kills on a .331 hitting share, averaging 1.78 kills per set. Over her three seasons, she has totaled 446 kills, 102 digs and 264 blocks for a complete of 596.5 factors.

• Having began all 31 matches final season because the group’s libero, Maddi Cuchran is again for her fifth season. Last season, Cuchran led the group with 454 digs averaging 3.88 per set and had a .937 reception share on 607 complete makes an attempt. Cuchran was one in every of simply three gamers to begin all 31 matches — becoming a member of Burke and graduated center blocker Jacque Boney.

• The 13 returners are joined by 5 newcomers. Jacyn Bamis joined Hawaii as a center blocker graduate pupil, the place she was an All-Mountain West honorable point out choice final season. Sydney Schnichels joins as an reverse hitter from Minnesota and was a former top-20 recruit. Three freshmen be a part of the ranks as effectively with libero Hannah Brady, center blocker Ece Senyapici and out of doors hitter Leni Stanton-Parker. 

• Head coach Erin Virtue returns for her third season with the Wolverines and is joined by returning assistant coach Nick Clark and efficiency analyst Matt Adams. Three new workers members will make their debuts on the Michigan sidelines with assistant coaches Kassie Kadera and Bjarne Huus and director of operations Kenzie Shand. Kadera joins the Wolverines from Memphis and was an All-MAC setter with Toledo. Huss comes from Long Beach State, the place he coached for 2 seasons after profitable a nationwide championship as a participant for the Beach.

• Wake Forest completed final season 13-18 and 5-15 within the ACC. The Deamon Deacons have been picked to complete fifteenth within the ACC Preseason Poll and can open their season on Friday towards Cincinnati.

• Cincinnati had a 14-15 total file final season and a 5-13 file within the Big 12. The Bearcats have been picked to complete thirteenth out of 15 groups within the Big 12 preseason ballot and can open their season at residence on Friday.