Michigan women's volleyball will get an early measuring stick Saturday, Aug. 15, when No. 4 Pittsburgh visits Crisler Center for a 1 p.m. preseason exhibition, a rematch of the second-round NCAA Tournament match that ended the Wolverines' 2025 season. Admission is free.

Pittsburgh swept Michigan 3-0 on Dec. 6, 2025, in that tournament meeting, then advanced to the national semifinals before falling to Texas A&M. The Panthers finished 30-5 and claimed at least a share of their fourth consecutive ACC title.

Pittsburgh arrives in Ann Arbor ranked No. 4 in the AVCA preseason poll. Michigan, picked 11th in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll, is treating the exhibition like a regular match even though it won't count in the standings.

"Those seven (underclassmen) haven't had an opportunity yet to suit up and play," coach Erin Virtue said on Aug. 3, according to The Michigan Daily. "We're going to treat those as we would a match, so we get to learn as much about our team as we can."

Virtue plans to evaluate seven underclassmen who have yet to appear in a competitive match, while also testing her formation options. Michigan found success last season running a 6-2 with senior setter Morgan Burke and junior setter Camille Edwards splitting duties. Virtue hasn't committed to a system yet.

The stakes feel real.

Junior outside hitter Ella Demetrician, the team's top returning kill leader, will anchor the attack. Senior Sydney Schnichels, who stands 6-foot-4, is expected to shift from the right side to help replace departed outside hitter Allison Jacobs and draw the assignment of defending Pitt's Olivia Babcock.

Babcock, also 6-4, averaged more than five kills per set last season and enters her senior year as the favorite to win a third consecutive AVCA Player of the Year award.

Pitt brings its own intrigue at setter. Izzy Starck, who started all 37 matches for Penn State's 2024 national-championship team as a true freshman before stepping away for mental health reasons, will make her first appearance in a Panthers uniform running their 5-1 offense.

The two programs already met in a low-stakes spring game on April 11. Schnichels told The Michigan Daily on Aug. 13 she's eager to see how much the Wolverines have developed since then.

Michigan described its 2025 campaign as its best since the pandemic. The exhibition is the first step toward proving the program can take another leap in a Big Ten where eight of the 10 teams ranked above the Wolverines also appear in the national top 25.

After facing Michigan, Pittsburgh heads to a showcase match against No. 3 Kentucky later in August.