Michigan
South Carolina
Wolverines to Host Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge This Week
8/30/2026 3:58:00 PM | Volleyball
Promotions
Sept. 1
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (2-0) will host South Carolina, LSU and Michigan State as part of the Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge at Crisler Center. The Wolverines will face South Carolina at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 1) on Big Ten Network before taking on LSU at 7 p.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 2) on B1G+. Michigan State will face both SEC opponents in the first match each day.
Notes
• The Wolverines started the season 2-0, taking down LIU in the season opener and Miami the following day, both in straight sets. U-M hit .475 against the Sharks with just five attack errors on 80 swings and .329 with 13 errors against the Hurricanes. The Michigan defense was strong as well, holding Miami to a .011 hitting percentage and LIU to a .101 hitting percentage.
• Ella Demetrician leads the Wolverine offense with 24 kills through two matches while hitting .375. The junior added 11 digs, three blocks and an ace during opening weekend. Demetrician tallied double-digit kills in both matches after reaching double figures 15 times last season. She finished last year second on the team in points and currently leads the Wolverines with 26.5 through the opening weekend.
• Cymarah Gordon went five-for-five in the season opener before an 11-kill performance against Miami. Gordon is hitting .542 on the season, which leads the Wolverines among attackers with 20 or more attempts. She has also added four digs and four blocks. Gordon had four matches with double-digit kills last year, with all four coming in five-set matches.
• Meredith Martin started both matches as the team's libero, becoming the first true freshman to start at libero for Michigan since 2012. Martin led the team in digs in both matches, including a match-high 14 against Miami. The freshman added seven assists across the two matches and recorded two aces on Saturday. Martin is averaging 3.50 digs per set and is the only Wolverine averaging more than 2.00 so far this season.
• Morgan Burke and Camille Edwards split the setting duties during opening weekend in U-M's 6-2 system. Burke started both matches, making her 76th and 77th consecutive starts, and leads the team with 40 assists. Edwards recorded 14 assists in both matches and is the only other Wolverine with double-digit assists this season. Burke has added nine digs, while Edwards has six digs and two aces.
• Ece Senyapici started Friday's season opener to make her collegiate debut and tallied five kills on 11 swings while adding three blocks. The sophomore followed with a match-high five blocks on Saturday in addition to four kills on eight swings. Senyapici leads the Wolverines with eight blocks and is the only U-M player with five or more this season.
• Jenna Hanes set a program record for hitting percentage last season and has continued that efficiency to begin this year. The junior has tallied eight kills on 19 swings with just one error for a .368 hitting percentage. Hanes' one error is the fewest on the team among players with at least three attack attempts. She has also added a team-leading four aces and three blocks.
• In addition to the debuts from Martin and Senyapici, two other Wolverines made their collegiate debuts during opening weekend. Leni Stanton-Parker saw action in the first set against LIU but did not record any statistics. Freshman Kapri Garnett entered late in the third set against the Sharks and tallied her first career kill. Three Wolverines have yet to make their collegiate debuts.
• South Carolina also swept its opening weekend, taking down UNCG and Northeastern at the Gamecock Classic. Last season, South Carolina finished 10-16 and fell in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Michigan is 3-0 all-time against the Gamecocks, with the last matchup coming on Sept. 11, 2015.
• LSU began the season 2-0 after beating Wake Forest in five sets and Incarnate Word in four sets in Baton Rouge. The Tigers finished 13-14 last season, losing twice to USC, the only Big Ten team they faced. U-M is 5-2 all-time against the Tigers and has won the last three matchups, with the most recent meeting coming in 2021.
