Michigan
LIU
Wolverines to Open 2026 Season Hosting LIU, Miami
8/26/2026 12:16:00 PM | Volleyball
Promotions
Aug. 29
• Beach Party -- Come dressed in your best beach attire and help create the ultimate beach party homecourt advantage!
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (0-0) opens its 2026 campaign hosting Long Island University on Friday (Aug. 28) at 6 p.m. and Miami on Saturday (Aug. 29) at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played at Cliff Keen Arena; Friday's match will be streamed live on B1G+, and Saturday's contest will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Notes
• The Wolverines finished the 2025 season with a 22-11 overall record and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. U-M returns 13 players from last year's team, including six who played in the NCAA Tournament.
• Ella Demetrician enters her third season at Michigan, having started 26 matches last season while playing in 30 of the 33 contests. She ranked second on the team in kills with 284 and averaged 2.87 per set. Demetrician was one of four Wolverines with double-digit digs last season and finished third on the team in digs per set. With the graduation of Allison Jacobs, Demetrician is poised to be Michigan's primary outside hitter.
• Jenna Hanes hit .450 last season with 185 kills and just 23 errors on 360 swings while starting all 33 matches. The junior now holds the program record for hitting percentage with at least 300 swings. Hanes also added 19 solo blocks and 99 block assists for 267.5 points. She also served last season and was one of two Wolverines with more aces (14) than errors (13). Hanes played in just five sets her freshman season but played in all but four as a sophomore.
• Morgan Burke has played in 77 consecutive matches, starting 75 straight since winning the starting setter job midway through her freshman year. Burke, now entering her senior season, sits eighth all-time at Michigan with 2,447 career assists. She led the team in assists last year with 791 while recording double-digit assists in every match, including 20 matches with 20 or more. Burke set a new career high of 56 as the lone setter, but normally rotated out for Camille Edwards in the Wolverines' 6-2 system.
• Cymarah Gordon and Lydia Johnson played as opposite hitters for Michigan last season and will do the same in 2026 in Michigan's 6-2 system. Last season, Gordon tallied 129 kills on a .242 hitting percentage while Johnson had 183 kills on a .298 hitting percentage. The duo contributed at the net as well, with Johnson recording 65 and Gordon adding 56.
• Sydney Schnichels transferred to Michigan before last season after two years at Minnesota and appeared in 44 sets across 16 matches for the Wolverines with 38 kills on 129 swings. Schnichels added 13 digs and 15 blocks and had strong matches against Purdue and Eastern Michigan.
• With the graduation of Maddi Cuchran, four Wolverines are battling for the libero spot, with senior Carly Greskovics, junior Trixie McMillin, sophomore Hannah Brady and freshman Meredith Martin all in the mix. Greskovics has played in 82 sets across 32 matches, totaling 68 digs, while McMillin has played in 135 sets in 43 matches with 75 career digs. Neither Brady nor Martin has seen action, with Brady coming from California and Martin hailing from Northville, Mich.
• LIU went 20-9 last season, winning the NEC regular-season and tournament championships en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance, losing in straight sets against Nebraska in the first round. The Sharks finished 0-2 against Big Ten foes, also falling to Rutgers in four sets.
• Miami finished the 2025 season with a 27-6 overall record and a 16-4 record in the ACC. The Hurricanes lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Kansas after defeating Tulsa in the first round. Miami faced three Big Ten teams last season, defeating Ohio State and Illinois but falling to Indiana. Before coming to Ann Arbor on Saturday, Miami opens the season at Michigan State.
