Michigan
14-7,4-6Big Ten
Illinois
12-7,7-3Big Ten
Wolverines Sweep Illinois for Key Road Win
10/25/2025 10:24:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan took down Illinois in straight sets highlighted by a comeback third-set win.
» The Wolverines hit .309 in the match with just six errors and held Illinois to a .159 hitting percentage.
» Jenna Hanes tallied seven kills and no errors on 12 swings and added a career-high seven blocks.
» Six different Wolverines recorded multiple kills with Allison Jacobs leading the way.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Behind a balanced offensive attack, the University of Michigan volleyball team swept Illinois (25-23, 25-20, 25-21) on Saturday night (Oct. 25) inside Huff Hall.
Michigan (13-7, 3-6 Big Ten) had six players record multiple kills, led by Allison Jacobs with eight. Jenna Hanes notched a career-high seven blocks and added seven kills on 12 swings. Cymarah Gordon tallied six kills, while Serena Nyambio added five kills and five blocks. Morgan Burke paced the offense with 18 assists, helping the Wolverines hit .309 as a team. Maddi Cuchran led the back row with nine digs and contributed two aces.
Illinois (12-6, 7-2 Big Ten) opened the match with a block, but a small surge, including a winner from Gordon, put Michigan up 5-3 early. The Illini tied the set at seven, but kills from Sydney Schnichels and a block from Gordon and Nyambio gave U-M another two-point cushion. The Fighting Illini responded with a 5-1 run to take a 12-10 lead, but Michigan answered with a 6-1 stretch led by Camille Edwards at the service line. Illinois tied it again at 16 and took a 19-18 lead before a kill from Ella Demetrician evened the score. A block from Gordon and Nyambio put Michigan back in front, and after Illinois tied it at 20, Michigan took the next three points to lead 23-20. Illinois closed within one, but Jacobs finished off the first set with a kill to secure a 25-23 win.
The Wolverines opened the second set with an ace from Burke and kills from Nyambio and Jacobs to take a 3-1 lead and never trailed again. Hanes extended the advantage to 7-3 with back-to-back kills and added another at 9-6 to keep the Illini at bay. Michigan went on a 4-1 run at 13-11 to stretch the margin to 17-12, with kills from Demetrician and Schnichels and a solo block by Hanes. Illinois pulled within 21-19 before Nyambio delivered a kill and Cuchran served consecutive aces to force a timeout. Out of the break, an Illini attack error gave Michigan set point, and Jacobs once again closed it out with a kill for a 25-20 win.
In the third set, Michigan opened with a block from Gordon and Nyambio and kills from Gordon and Jacobs to go up 3-1. The Illini tied the set twice before going on a 4-0 run to lead 9-5, then extended the margin to 12-6. Michigan battled back with a 6-1 run led by Nyambio's two kills to pull within two. Illinois held a narrow advantage until a five-point surge by the Wolverines put them ahead 18-15, highlighted by four Illini errors and a kill from Lydia Johnson. The teams traded points down the stretch, and Michigan reached match point on a kill from Jacobs. Illinois fought off one, but Jacobs sealed the sweep with another kill for a 25-21 win.
The Wolverines return home to face Penn State on Friday (Oct. 31) at 6:30 p.m. in Crisler Center, with the match airing live on Big Ten Network.
