The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538670
58 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2025 ❱ OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE assists (14). She assisted on the game- winning goal in the Big Ten final versus No. 1 Northwestern. Redshirt Sophomore Hala Silver- stein — An academic All-Big Ten hon- oree and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, she started all 20 games in the cage, posting a 1.14 goals against average and a .668 save percentage while nabbing 4 solo shutouts and combining for five more. Sophomore Anjolie Norton — This Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree appeared in 20 games with 19 starts in the defensive backfield, contributing to a group that held opponents to 1.1 goals, 7.2 shots and 3.6 penalty corners per game. Men's Soccer First Event: Aug. 21 vs. Notre Dame (Ann Arbor) Season Outlook: Last year's Big Ten Tournament runner-up made the sec- ond round of the 2024 NCAA Tourna- ment and has a new look this year under head coach Chaka Dailey, adding eight freshmen and four transfers to a group hoping to improve on a seventh-place regular-season finish last year. TOP THREE ATHLETES: Graduate Raymundo Mendez — A grad transfer, Mendez played two sea- sons at Seattle Pacific and two seasons at Columbia Basin, a junior college. He was the 2024 conference player of the year and a two-time first team All- GNAC performer, tallying 26 goals and 5 assists in two seasons with 117 career points (48 goals, 21 assists) in four col- lege seasons. Senior Nolan Miller — He broke out as the leader of the U-M defense in 2024, starting 20 matches and logging 1,659 minutes at center back. Miller also scored a goal with 42 seconds left against Wisconsin to earn a 1-1 draw and send U-M to the Big Ten Tournament. He was named a United Soccer Coaches "Defender to Watch" ahead of the 2025 campaign. Sophomore Kamau Brame — An All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree, Brame appeared in 19 games with 12 starts in 2024, tallying 6 shots with 3 on target while logging 1,234 minutes on the pitch. Women's Soccer First Event: Aug. 14 at Villanova (2-1 W) Season Outlook: U-M faces nine teams that competed in last season's NCAA Tournament, which includes eight teams that advanced into the Round of 16. Seven of Michigan's sched- uled opponents are ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 poll. TOP THREE ATHLETES: Senior Sophie Homan — A two- time Academic All-Big Ten and Dis- tinguished Scholar (2023-24), Homan appeared in four games last season with one start against Wisconsin and 130 minutes in goal. Junior Gabrielle Prych — Prych was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team hon- oree in 2023 and followed it up with 10 appearances and six starts in 2024, log- ging 416 minutes and 6 shots on goal. She was named one of the "Players to Watch" by the Big Ten Conference this fall. Sophomore Ellie Fife — This Ann Arbor native spent her freshman sea- son at Vanderbilt, where she played in seven games with 172 minutes on the pitch and was named an SEC Fall Aca- demic Honor Roll selection. Fife also was named a Big Ten Player to Watch in the preseason. Volleyball First Event: Aug. 22 vs. Lake Supe- rior State (Mackinac Island, Mich.) Season Outlook: The Wolverines took a step forward and finished better than anticipated in coach Erin Virtue's second season leading the program, posting an 18-13 record (8-12 Big Ten) and finishing tied for 10th. This year's schedule features 16 home matches and 10 conference bouts, headlined by a visit from defending national cham- pion Penn State. TOP THREE ATHLETES: Graduate Allison Jacobs — She was named to the Big Ten Volleyball Preseason All-Conference team after claiming first-team honors last year in addition to AVCA All-Region North honorable mention. She appeared in and started 25 of 31 matches and re- corded 334 kills and 186 digs. Senior Serena Nyambio — An Academic All-Big Ten honoree, she started 29 matches and played in 114 sets, leading the team in hitting per- Senior Nolan Miller was named a United Soccer Coaches "Defender to Watch" ahead of the 2025 campaign. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY