The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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14 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2026 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS ❱ Student-Athlete Of The Month Volleyball Senior Morgan Burke U-M senior Morgan Burke is in the home stretch of her time in Ann Arbor, where she has been a standout for the volleyball program while main- taining a high standard in the classroom. The two-time Academic All- Big Ten recipient's ability to excel in both parts of being a student-athlete is a source of great pride for her. "I think it's super reward- ing," Burke said. "You come to Michigan knowing what you're getting yourself into: great academic school, great athlet- ics. And so being able to pour into both of those aspects of my life has always been a big part of my life, and I've been a very driven person. "Being able to balance both and separate that time be- tween academics and athlet- ics and seeing it pay off has been really awesome." The Omaha, Neb., native's decision to come to Ann Arbor four years ago has helped provide everything she thought it would and has helped create some lifelong friendships and connections. "Michigan has all the best of everything you could get," Burke said. "It's a very great social life, very good academics, and very good athletics. I've been able to make so many different connections. I have so many friends on a bunch of different teams, so many friends in my different classes. I've been able to build these different relationships that I'll carry on with me throughout my life and be able to develop as an individual. "I think it's helped me learn how to be independent and do all these things by myself and grow up and be an adult. I think Michigan has taught me a lot, and I hope to continue to build relationships as I move on. I only have a little bit left here, so continuing to leave my mark and leave Michigan a better place than where I found it when I came." Burke's U-M experience has also helped her develop her leadership style and become a veteran presence on which her younger teammates can lean. "I want to be someone that my teammates can come to and talk to, and I want to be that example for them and that role model," Burke said. "I want them to know that they have someone they can go to, and I'm a safe space for them. I think growing into that, and then on the court, growing into using my role, and using my voice and actions to help lead the team, and lead by example ultimately. A big thing with leading is that your actions speak louder than words, and I try to live that every day." Burke, a movement science and kinesiology major, knows there is much more education on the way as she plots out the next stages of her career path. "I'm hoping to get my master's in nutrition next year, and then eventually go to nursing school after that," Burke said. "Lots of schooling ahead, but very excited." — Anthony Broome MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Men's Cross Country Senior Nathan Lopez: The Lynnfield, Mass., native ran a career- best 23:01.95 over 8,000 meters for eighth place at the Loyola Lakefront Invite, leading all Big Ten competitors and earning Big Ten Co-Athlete of the Week honors Sept. 30. He led the Wolverines to a runner-up finish, end- ing up just three points behind Arizona. On Oct. 9, Lopez led the Wolverines with a 75th- place finish in 23:43.2 over 8,000 meters at the Nuttycombe Invitational. Men's Tennis Freshman Gustavo Albieri: The Campinas, Brazil, native won the first two singles and doubles matches of his career at the Hope College RSM Invitational, defeating Western Michigan's La Pham and Wisconsin's Collin Beduhn. He lost his third singles match and ended up coming out on top in three of four doubles matches with partner Nicholas Heng. For his perfor- mance, he was listed as the Big Ten Fresh- man of the Week Oct. 7. Men's Basketball Senior Elliot Cadeau: The point guard was named to the 11- man preseason All-Big Ten team along with sophomore guard Trey McKenney, the 25th and 26th Wolverines to earn the distinction. Cadeau was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player last season. He started all 40 games, averaging 10.5 points and a team- best 5.9 assists per game. Men's Tennis Redshirt Sophomore Max Dahlin: The Karlstad, Sweden, native cap- tured his first profes- sional singles title of his career with a straight-set victory at the M15 Ann Arbor on Oct. 4. The title scored Dahlin 15 ATP points, adding to the 22 he tallied this past summer at the Bonn Challenger. Dahlin earned a 6-4, 6-4 win in the championship match over TCU's Oliver Bonding, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. — Clayton Sayfie Burke, a movement science and kinesiology major as well as a senior setter, is within 150 assists of the 3,000-assist plateau. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY