Michigan
USC
Michigan to Head Out West to Face UCLA, USC as First-Time Conference Foes
10/1/2024 3:56:00 PM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (12-1, 2-0 Big Ten) heads to California to face off for the first time against new Big Ten members UCLA and No. 21 USC. U-M starts the trip with the Trojans on Friday (Oct. 4) at 7 pm. PDT at the Galen Center, then battles UCLA on Saturday (Oct. 5) at 7 p.m. PDT inside Pauley Pavilion. Both matches will be streamed live on B1G+.
Notes
• The Wolverines opened conference play with a sweep of Michigan State and a five-set reverse sweep win over Rutgers. In the match against the Scarlet Knights, U-M dropped the first two sets but rallied to win, including a 17-15 final set. On the season, Michigan is 12-1 with its only loss coming in five sets to North Carolina.
• Allison Jacobs is on a roll with 11 straight games with double-digit kills and matched her career high with 25 kills against Rutgers. She is averaging 4.12 kills per set which ranks fifth in the conference and 39th in the nation, while her 202 kills rank second in the conference and 39th in the NCAA. In addition to her strong offense, Jacobs has been an asset defensively, tallying 105 digs and 24 blocks.
• With 54 assists against Rutgers, sophomore setter Morgan Burke set a new career high. In nine fewer matches and 16 fewer sets, Burke has set new season highs in kills, assists, aces, blocks and points and is 13 digs away from passing last year's total. Burke is averaging 10.04 assists per set, ranking eighth in the conference and 48th nationally, while her 492 total assists are second in the conference and 39th in the nation.
•Valentina Vaulet has a team-leading 31 aces and is five away from passing her total from last season. This season, she has tallied 119 kills, including a career-high 22 against North Carolina. Vaulet has added 11 assists, 83 digs and 26 blocks (one solo, 25 assists). Vaulet ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally in aces per set at 0.76 and is third in the conference and 10th nationally in total aces.
• Junior middle blocker Serena Nyambio has a team-leading 54 blocks on the season with 11 solo blocks and 43 block assists. Nyambio also has 107 kills on the season with a .430 hitting percentage and just 18 errors on 207 attacks. She has been errorless five times, including the last match against the Scarlet Knights where she went 12-for-18. Nyambio is fifth in the Big Ten and 19th nationally in hitting percentage.
• Libero Maddi Cuchran leads the team in digs with 194 and is averaging 3.96 per set. She played every set last season and started a handful of matches, while this season has played every set and started every match as the libero. She has reached double-digit digs in 12 of 13 games and nine straight matches with a career high of 28 against Notre Dame.
• As the only freshman to earn a start this season, Ella Demetrician turned the tide in a five-set win over Rutgers. After appearing in 10 straight contests, she did not appear in the match against MSU and the first two sets against Rutgers but came in and tallied eight kills on 15 swings and added an ace and nine digs. On the season, Demetrician has 81 kills on a .239 hitting percentage.
• USC is ranked No. 21 in the AVCA poll with a 9-3 overall record and a 1-1 conference record. The Trojans opened their Big Ten schedule with a five-set win over Ohio State and a three-set loss at Nebraska. U-M has faced the Trojans just one other time in program history with USC taking the match in four sets in 2017.
• Currently receiving votes in the AVCA poll, UCLA is 7-4 on the season and split their first weekend in the Big Ten. The Bruins took a set from the Cornhuskers in Lincoln before returning home and defeating Ohio State in four sets. All time, Michigan is 0-4 against UCLA with the last matchup coming in the 2015 NCAA Tournament in a five-set match.
