Michigan
USC
Michigan to Head West for Big Ten Matches at USC, UCLA
9/30/2026 11:12:00 AM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball team (9-4, 0-2 Big Ten) will travel to California for a two-match road trip, taking on USC (7-5, 1-1 Big Ten) at Galen Center on Friday (Oct. 2) at 8 p.m. PT on Big Ten Network before playing UCLA (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday (Oct. 3) at 7 p.m. PT on B1G+.
Notes
• Michigan finished non-conference play 9-2, but dropped its first two Big Ten games at home to then No. 16-ranked Penn State and current No. 22 Washington. The Wolverines took the first set against Penn State but could not sustain the momentum. Against the Huskies, U-M battled hard in each set but fell in three sets despite a match-leading 18 kills from Ella Demetrician.
• The Wolverine offense is one of the best in the Big Ten, placing top three in the conference in kills per set and assists per set. U-M averages 14.22 kills and 13.43 assists per set, which are also top-12 nationally.
• Demetrician continued her strong start to the season, recording more than 15 kills in each of last week's matches, including the match-leading 18 against Washington. She leads the Big Ten with 198 kills while ranking second in kills per set with 4.30. In her career against USC, Demetrician has totaled 18 kills and 20 digs, recording a double-double against the Trojans in 2025.
• Meredith Martin added to her conference-leading dig total (205) with a career-high 29 against Penn State, upping her Big Ten-leading per-set average to 4.46. The freshman libero has double-digit digs in 11 of the 13 matches this season and also has six aces this season, ranking fifth on the team.
• Morgan Burke added 39 assists in last week's matches to her team-leading total. Burke has 20 assists or more in 11 matches this season, with a high of 32, and ranks seventh all-time in career assists. The senior also leads the squad in aces with 20, and slots in at third in digs with 94 -- including 14 over the weekend.
• Ece Senyapici recorded five blocks in last weekend's contests, leading the team in both matches. She is the team's leading blocker with 53, ranking third in total blocks in the Big Ten. Senyapici has added 44 kills on a .277 hitting percentage, playing in every set so far this season.
• Cymarah Gordon registered a team-leading 16 kills in Friday's contest. She is among the Big Ten's best in kills, ranking fifth in total kills (162). Gordon's kill total is second on the team, already marking a career high for the junior.
• Sydney Schnichels (103) joins Demetrician and Gordon as the only Wolverines with triple-digit kills. The senior outside hitter recorded her 13th ace of the season against Washington, good for third on the team.
• Camille Edwards put up 16 assists in both weekend games, moving her season total to 213, trailing just Burke on the roster. Edwards is averaging 4.95 assists per set, an improvement of 0.54 per set from last year. Her 14 aces also represent a career high in 20 fewer sets than in 2025.
• USC opened Big Ten action 1-1, sweeping Northwestern but being swept by Illinois. The Trojans have an overall record of 7-5, with three of their losses coming against ranked opponents. USC has one ranked win this season, sweeping No. 12 Arizona State at a neutral site. Michigan is seeking its first win against USC and trails 3-0 in the all-time series
• UCLA also split the first two games of its conference schedule, with a win over Northwestern and falling to No. 18 Indiana. All three of the Bruins' losses have come against ranked opponents. UCLA enters the weekend with a 10-3 overall record. Saturday's match will be just UCLA's second at Pauley Pavilion this season. Michigan trails the all-time series 5-1, with its lone win coming in the team's first Big Ten meeting two years ago -- a five-set victory.
