Michigan
11-3,1-2Big Ten
Minnesota
12-2,2-1Big Ten
Wolverines Take Down No.10 Minnesota in Four Sets
10/1/2025 10:52:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan took down Top-10 Minnesota for its first ranked win since 2021.
» Allison Jacobs led the way with 20 kills, hitting .386, and added six digs.
» Morgan Burke helped the Wolverines' offense to a .383 hitting percentage and recorded a double-double.
» Lydia Johnson and Ella Demetrician both recorded double-digit kills.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- For the first time since 2021, the University of Michigan volleyball team defeated a ranked opponent, knocking off No. 10 Minnesota (18-25, 25-12, 25-14, 25-12) on Wednesday night (Oct. 1) at Crisler Center to open the Big Ten/Discover Volleyball Challenge.
Michigan (11-3, 1-2 Big Ten) was paced by setter Morgan Burke, who recorded a double-double with 42 assists and 13 digs. Led by 20 kills from Allison Jacobs, U-M hit .383 overall and topped .400 in each of the final three sets. Lydia Johnson matched her career high with 14 kills, and Ella Demetrician added 15. The Wolverine defense was also strong, holding Minnesota to a .093 hitting percentage, with five blocks from Serena Nyambio and 17 digs from Maddi Cuchran leading the way.
A kill from Jacobs opened the match, but Minnesota (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) quickly took the lead at 6-5 and never trailed again in the first set. Michigan tied it at eight, nine and 10, but the Golden Gophers led 15-13 at the media timeout, then took four straight points to pull away. Minnesota claimed the opener, 25-18, hitting .417 while U-M hit .250.
Demetrician and Johnson opened set two with kills, as Michigan opened the frame with a 5-3 advantage. With Cuchran at the service line, U-M then rattled off a 7-0 run fueled by kills from Jacobs and Johnson. Trailing 12-3, Minnesota used both timeouts but the Wolverines stayed in control. Burke and Demetrician added short service runs and Johnson's kill sealed the win, 25-12, as U-M tied the match 1-1. For the set, Michigan hit .444 while holding Minnesota to -0.133.
Minnesota opened the third set on a 4-0 run, but Michigan quickly responded as kills from Johnson and Burke, along with blocks from Nyambio, fueled a 9-6 Wolverine lead. U-M never looked back, stretching the margin to 16-10 and later 20-11 on another Johnson kill. An ace from Jacobs closed out the set, 25-14, as Michigan hit .400 while holding the Gophers to .100 to take a 2-1 lead.
The fourth set was all Michigan. Jacobs opened with a kill, and Demetrician quickly put U-M in front to stay. Small runs pushed the margin to 14-8, forcing Minnesota into a timeout. Out of the break, Demetrician served another run and Jacobs added two more kills to stretch it to 18-8. Minnesota used a second timeout, but an ace from Cuchran made it 20-11. Jacobs' final kill brought up match point, and a Minnesota miscue gave Michigan the 25-12 set win and a 3-1 victory.
The Wolverines now head on the road to face No. 7 Wisconsin on Sunday (Oct. 1) at 1 p.m. CT at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis. The match will stream on B1G+.
