Michigan
Gophers regain volleyball footing
But Hanson came alive again with three straight kills during a decisive rally in the third set. She swung hard with success for most of the match, but the turning point came with assistance.
In the third set, Michigan pulled within 12-10 after three straight points, but junior Mckenna Wucherer stopped the run. The Wolverines weren’t finished, cutting the margin to 13-12, but Wucherer’s dig kept a play alive that ended with a big block from Lydia Grote and Calissa Minatee. The Gophers kept the momentum and won the set.
“They went on a few runs, but we still continued to be a team and connected throughout the whole match,” Hanson said.
Freshman Alex Acevedo had a career-high seven aces Saturday. Grote made 16 kills, Wucherer 10. Shaffmaster added 47 assists.
In back-to-back losses at Maturi Pavilion last week, the Gophers only managed to win once in six sets. That included being swept by Oregon. There was also the first match against coach Keegan Cook’s former Washington program after taking over at the U. The players were a bit too emotionally charged, he said.
There’s plenty of wiggle room in the National Weather Service’s forecast for a winter storm that’s expected to arrive Sunday in metro Detroit.
The storm is expected to hit as Michigan continues to experience extremely cold temperatures.
The NWS issued snow total estimates with ranges of about 5 inches for most southeast Michigan communities. Low-end and high-end predictions widen the gap even further.
The difference in low- and high-end ranges is vast in most southeast Michigan communities. As of Friday morning, Detroit is expected to get 2-7 inches of snow, but low- and high-end estimates could mean anywhere from 1 to 9 inches.
Monroe is expected to get 3-8 inches of snow, but could see anywhere from 1 to 10 inches. Ann Arbor is estimated at 2-7 inches, but could see between 1 and 9 inches.
Cold temperatures continue Sunday with wind chills between 0 and minus-10 degrees.
Whether the winter storm becomes a snow boom or bust, we have tips you need to prepare and stay warm during the arctic blast.
[ Download the free Detroit Free Press app and turn on “Notifications” to get breaking news updates on this weekend’s winter weather. Prefer email alerts? Sign up here. ]
Michigan’s frigid conditions are the result of an Arctic air mass that typically is located around Hudson Bay in northern Canada. It has been descending south and has now moved into the northern Great Lakes, Freitag said. The jet stream, a fast-flowing “river of air” in the upper atmosphere, is just below the low-pressure system that’s moved into the Great Lakes, meaning it’s channeling that Arctic air into the region.
“For the weekend, we’ve got a southern system just off Baja California that’s going to trek through the Gulf Coast states and grab that Gulf of Mexico moisture, and you are going to have the Battle of Air Masses,” he said. “It’s leading to that big storm we are all hearing about over the Tennessee and Kentucky valley and Mid-Atlantic.”
Michigan will be on the northern fringe of that weather chaos, “but it’s still going to be strong enough to produce snow for the Detroit Metro area; certainly Detroit could see 4 inches or more on Sunday,” Freitag said.
—Keith Matheny
Here are local institutions closing or operating virtually Jan. 23 amid severe cold:
- Wayne State: Wayne State University in Detroit and its extension centers will be under remote operations Jan. 23-24 in light of severe cold, the university said in a Jan. 22 news release. Libraries will be closed and the Student Center, Mort Harris Recreation and Fitness Center, and certain dining options will remain open for modified hours.
- Detroit Zoo: The Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak announced it will close Jan. 23-24. The zoo plans to reopen Jan. 25, weather permitting.
- Belle Isle Nature Center: The Belle Isle Nature Center in Belle Isle, Detroit, will be closed Jan. 23-24 due to the extreme cold, the center said in a Jan. 22 Facebook post.
- BRRmingham Blast: The BRRmingham Blast festival in Birmingham has been canceled due to severe cold, per organizers. The event had been scheduled for Jan. 24.
—Jenna Prestininzi
Be prepared for whatever is in Michigan’s weather forecast with live doppler radar from the National Weather Service below. We also have resources on how to check your power outage status.
(Hit refresh on your browser for the latest radar loop.)
On Tuesday, Michigan added former Cal commit, and 2026 prospect, Ernest Nunley, but he isn’t the only one this week.
On Thursday, the Wolverines added kicker Jacob Baggett to the class. Baggett, from Charlotte (NC) Providence Day School, is ranked as the No. 8 kicker in the 2026 cycle, per Chris Sailer Kicking.
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“Jacob is a fantastic high school kicking prospect. He is a great looking athlete with a live leg. Jacob does an outstanding job on field goal. He hits a pure ball, gets great height on easily has 55+ yard range. His kickoffs are strong, D1 ready. Jacob drives the ball 65+ yards, with 4.15+ hang time. He is a competitor who thrives under pressure. There is big upside here. Jacob has all the tools to dominate at the next level. Look for him to dominate his senior season picking up additional college offers along the way. He is a pleasure to work with. Excellent prospect.”
According to MaxPreps, Baggett made 6-of-7 field goals this season with a long of 48 yards. He went 121-131 on extra points.
Kerry Coombs continues to make waves
Sherrone Moore added former Ohio State coach Kerry Coombs to his staff just days before he was fired. Kyle Whittingham kept Coombs on his staff, and he has made waves in recruiting for his special teams unit.
The Wolverines added a kicker, punter, and two long snappers from the transfer portal. While Michigan did lose both K Micah Drescher and LS Colton Dermer, who were both 2026 pledges, Coombs helped matters by landing Baggett.
Michigan’s special teams was fantastic under Jim Harbaugh and Jay Harbaugh. But under Moore and former ST coordinator JB Brown, the unit really slipped.
With Coombs leading the show and the quality of players he has brought in, we would expect Michigan’s special teams to look much better across the board in 2026.
— Sign up for the Michigan Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage fromMichigan Wolverines on SI —
A Warren, Michigan, man is facing a drug charge in connection with the overdose death of a 54-year-old man.
According to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, Aron Edwards Jr., 50, was arraigned on Jan. 16 on one count of delivery of a controlled substance causing death. Edwards received a $50,000 cash/surety bond and must wear a GPS tether if released. He is due back in court on Jan. 27.
Prosecutors say that on Sept. 2, 2025, Clinton Township police responded to a home on Williamson Street and found two people unconscious and suffering from an apparent overdose. Prosecutors say that a woman was resuscitated, but the second person, 54-year-old Roger Benthal, was pronounced dead.
A toxicology report found Carfentanil in Benthal’s bloodstream, according to prosecutors. An investigation led to Edwards.
“Many people do not realize the serious and often fatal risks they take when using drugs obtained off the streets. Lives can be lost in an instant. Drugs will not be tolerated in Macomb County, and my office will continue working aggressively to protect the safety and well-being of our residents,” said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido in a news release.
Edwards is due back in court on Jan. 27.
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