Michigan 2024

[bprtbone]

2024 Michigan Wolverines

Graduates
Allison Jacobs (OH)
Kendyl Reaugh (OH)

Seniors
Jacque Boney (MB)
Mira Chopra (MB/OPP)
Maddie Cuchran (DS/L)

Juniors
Serena Nyambio (MB)
Amalia Simmons (OH)

Sophomores
Morgan Burke (S)
Carly Greskovicz (DS/L)
Lydia Johnson (OPP)
Valentina Vaulet (OPP/OH)

Freshmen
Ella Demetrician 6"2" (OH) Appleton, WI Appleton North HS; FC Elite VBC
Camille Edwards 5'11" (S) Dallas, TX Prestonwood Christian HS; TAV VBC
Cymarah Gordon 6'0" (OPP) Irvine, CA; Mater Dei HS; Momentous VBC
Jenna Hanes 6'3" (MB) Poway, CA; Cathedral Catholic HS; Wave VBC
Trixie McMillan 5'5" (DS) Redondo Beach, CA; Mira Costa HS; City VBC
Ellie White 5'11" (S) Orland Park, IL Mother McAuley HS; 1st Alliance VBC

Projected Starters: Burke (S); Boney/Nyambio (MB); Jacobs/Reaugh (OH); Vaulet (OPP); McMillan (DS); Cuchran (L)

Preview:
After losing their top three scorers and bringing in an entirely new coaching staff and system, 2023 was destined to be a year of transition for Michigan Volleyball. But few predicted how precipitous the fall would be as the Wolverines posted their worst record in the rally scoring era and third worst in the history of the program. 2024 looks to be much of the same as new HC Erin Virtue will continue to split her time with USA Volleyball in the Olympic year. Michigan knew what it was getting when they hired her and hopefully these early seasons of pain pay off in longer term success.

There are reasons to be hopeful in 2024. The team played significantly better in the last half of the season as they settled into Virtue's system and promoted Morgan Burke to starting setter. There are several promising freshman coming in from Rosen's last recruiting class and Allison Jacobs returns from injury for her senior season. There remains tremendous support from the fans as the team ranked 17th in overall attendance despite the results on the court. But this remains a young team still finding its footing.

Questions:
 - Are any seniors returning for their COVID year? Grant would be the most valuable and there should be one scholarship available, but there has been no indication of anyone coming back. For that matter, none of them are in the portal either. 
 - Can any freshmen break into the starting lineup? Every spot is up for grabs.
 - Are we really going to keep playing half of our matches in the cramped and outdated Cliff Keen arena? Crisler is an excellent venue and should be the permanent home for the program barring building from scratch.

Michigan Futures:

2025
Hannah Brady 5'8" (DS/L) Westlake Village, CA; Oaks Christian HS; Sunshine VBC
Leni Stanton-Parker 6'0" (OH) McLean, VA; Langley HS; Metro VBC

2026
Kapri Garnett 6'4" (OPP) Los Angeles, CA; Campbell Hall HS; Sunshine VBC
Megan Ingersoll 6'1" (OH/OPP) Hoover, AL; Spain Park HS; Alabama Performance VBC
Meredith Martin 5'8" (DS/L) Northville, MI; Marian HS; Legacy VBC


Go Blue!

[dizzydean]

They're not going to be very good until the coach is concentrating solely on Michigan.

[1guy]

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1W-4N5t-fq

Nice video about '24 incoming Ellie White 

[jbdub]

Dec 23, 2023 16:50:23 GMT -5 dizzydean said:

They're not going to be very good until the coach is concentrating solely on Michigan.

That'll be in time for next fall then, since Virtue's commitment to the national team ends when the Olympics do.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Cliff Keen is a classic VB venue, where a raucous atmosphere is generated by the fans being right on top of the action. 




You can't ask the players to abandon an atmosphere like that in favor of playing in front of miles and miles of empty seats at the Crisler Center. 

[mark46]

I can't agree at all on playing at Keen vs Crisler. Keen holds less than 2000 people and despite having a poor team this year Michigan drew 7800 for Nebraska, 6400 for MSU and 5900 for OSU and all the other matches in Crisler were well over Keen's capacity. You can't be turning away that many people and expect the sport to grow.

[bprtbone]

I have to find some excuse to link in Michigan's football natty this morning and this video of Kendall Murray ghosting Blake Corum after the game does the trick. What a fun night - Go Blue!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C13gBQqu6Vz

[lotstodo2023]

Jan 9, 2024 8:01:49 GMT -5 bprtbone said:

I have to find some excuse to link in Michigan's football natty this morning and this video of Kendall Murray ghosting Blake Corum after the game does the trick. What a fun night - Go Blue!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C13gBQqu6Vz

Love this. Her look" hmm not today friend not today"

[sluggermatt15]

Looks like a pretty young team for 2024. Any chance they add players from the portal?

[bluedig]

Also wonder if any of the ‘24 incoming class is an early arrival. Any word on the spring schedule?

[bprtbone]

Jan 27, 2024 20:45:43 GMT -5 sluggermatt15 said:

Looks like a pretty young team for 2024. Any chance they add players from the portal?

Michigan's transfer admission requirements make adding athletes from the portal a challenge. Saj McBurrows was our only add in 2023 and she came from the Ivy League. So unless the university suddenly starts lowering standards for transfer athletes (highly unlikely for the non-revenue sports), the program will have to rely on recruitment and retention. With all that, I think they still have one scholarship available for 2024, so we'll see.

[b1gvb23]

Jan 28, 2024 10:19:42 GMT -5 bluedig said:

Also wonder if any of the ‘24 incoming class is an early arrival. Any word on the spring schedule?

They have 10 athletes on their roster for spring semester. No early enrollees

[sluggermatt15]

Jan 28, 2024 11:24:12 GMT -5 bprtbone said:

Jan 27, 2024 20:45:43 GMT -5 sluggermatt15 said:

Looks like a pretty young team for 2024. Any chance they add players from the portal?

Michigan's transfer admission requirements make adding athletes from the portal a challenge. Saj McBurrows was our only add in 2023 and she came from the Ivy League. So unless the university suddenly starts lowering standards for transfer athletes (highly unlikely for the non-revenue sports), the program will have to rely on recruitment and retention. With all that, I think they still have one scholarship available for 2024, so we'll see.

Interesting. Thank you for this. So really the only hope UM has is in its recruiting?

[jbdub]

Jan 28, 2024 18:53:19 GMT -5 sluggermatt15 said:

Jan 28, 2024 11:24:12 GMT -5 bprtbone said:

Michigan's transfer admission requirements make adding athletes from the portal a challenge. Saj McBurrows was our only add in 2023 and she came from the Ivy League. So unless the university suddenly starts lowering standards for transfer athletes (highly unlikely for the non-revenue sports), the program will have to rely on recruitment and retention. With all that, I think they still have one scholarship available for 2024, so we'll see.

Interesting. Thank you for this. So really the only hope UM has is in its recruiting?

[jbdub]

Grad transfers can transfer into Michigan pretty easily, as can athletes who've only completed their freshman and possibly sophomore years. It's Juniors and seniors who can't get enough of their credits accepted by Michigan to make it worthwhile, who can't really portal in. I mean they can, but they risk being ruled ineligible for not making satisfactory progress toward a degree when their credit don't transfer.

So for example, the Michigan women's basketball team currently has four transfers on the roster; three grad transfers and one who portaled in after her freshman year.