Michigan
21-9,11-8Big Ten
UCLA
17-12,11-8Big Ten
Wolverines Drop Five-Set Contest to UCLA
11/26/2025 10:41:00 PM | Volleyball
» Michigan took the second and third sets in a five-set loss to UCLA.
» Cymarah Gordon and Amalia Simmons each tallied 13 kills in the match to lead Michigan.
» Jenna Hanes tallied a match-leading seven blocks.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team dropped a five-set match to UCLA (15-25, 25- 16, 25-13, 22-25, 7-15) on Wednesday night (Nov. 26) at Crisler Center.
Michigan (21-9, 11-8 Big Ten) was led by 13 kills from Cymarah Gordon and Amalia Simmons. Simmons added 11 digs, matching Maddi Cuchran for the team lead. Allison Jacobs also added double-digit kills with 12. The Wolverines recorded 12 blocks, led by seven from Jenna Hanes, six from Lydia Johnson and four from Serena Nyambio. Both setters tallied double-digit assists and two aces, with Morgan Burke leading the way with 23 assists and Camille Edwards adding 16 helpers.
A kill from Burke opened the first set, but UCLA (17-12, 11-8 Big Ten) took the next three points and held the lead for the rest of the set. The Bruins worked up to a 6-2 lead, and after a 3-1 Michigan run led by two Gordon kills, UCLA took their 15th point to lead by five heading into the media timeout. Out of the timeout, the Bruins took five straight points and extended their lead further to 23-12. Michigan tried to come back, taking three of the next four points with kills from Hanes and Jacobs, but UCLA used a kill to close out the first set 25-15.
In the second set, Michigan started out with a kill from Nyambio, and after the Bruins tied it, a service error put the Wolverines back in front. U-M used a block assist from Nyambio and Gordon and an Ella Demetrician ace to go up 4-1 and led for the rest of the set. Michigan built its lead to 15-10 to reach the media break, and a block assist from Gordon and Hanes reopened the action. After two UCLA points, U-M went on a 4-0 run with kills from three different Wolverines. The Bruins took the next two points, but a kill from Johnson and a UCLA attack error gave Michigan a 23-14 lead and forced a UCLA timeout. Michigan reached set point after a bad set from UCLA, but the Bruins fought off one chance with a kill. On the next point, Simmons finished off the set with a kill as the Wolverines won 25-16.
The Bruins took the first point of the third set, but a block assist from Nyabmio and Jacobs tied the match at one. An ace from Cuchran put the Wolverines in front and after a kill from UCLA tied it at two, Michigan went on a 4-0 run. On the run, three different players recorded kills. U-M continued to add to its lead, going on a 5-3 run and forcing a UCLA timeout at 11-5 with two kills from Simmons on the run. Out of the timeout, Michigan scored the next two points with a UCLA error and an ace from Burke. Neither team could get a run going for the next couple of points until three straight for Michigan put the Wolverines up 20-10. After a UCLA block, the Wolverines took four of the next five to each set point, including a kill from Edwards. The Bruins fought off one set point, but a kill from Nyambio finished the third set 25-13.
Michigan started on a 3-0 run with an ace from Burke to open the fourth set. UCLA matched it and took a 4-3 before a Simmons kill tied the match. The teams traded the lead until a block from Johnson and Hanes put U-M up 10-9. A kill from Simmons followed and after a UCLA kill, Simmons recorded another followed by a kill from Gordon. At the media timeout, Michigan led 15-11, and out of the timeout, the teams traded the next six points. The Bruins then went on an 8-1 run to take a 22-19 lead and force both Michigan timeouts. U-M brought the match to within one after a kill from Simmons and a block from Nyambio and Gordon, but a kill from UCLA kept the match from being tied. Simmons once again brought the set to within one at 23-22, but back-to-back UCLA kills ended the set 25-22 to force a decisive fifth set.
UCLA opened the fifth set on a 6-0 run, ended by a Gordon kill. A kill and block from Jacobs followed before an ace from Cuchran forced a UCLA timeout with the Bruins leading 6-4. The Bruins took the next point out of the timeout, but a kill from Gordon kept U-M down two. The Bruins extended their lead, taking the next four points to force the second U-M timeout of the set. A kill from Jacobs was the next point, but the Bruins finished the match on a 4-1 run to win the fifth set 15-7.
The Wolverines will wrap up the regular season at 2 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 28), hosting No. 14 USC for Senior Day at Crisler Center. The match will be streamed live on B1G+.
