Revenge or no revenge, the Michigan volleyball team rebounded from last weekend’s upset at the hands of Toledo.

With another week of experience and practice under its belt, coach Mark Rosen’s younger squad won all three matches this past Friday and Saturday to win the Active Ankle Challenge.

After beginning last year with a 12-0 record, the Wolverines suffered their lone loss of the preseason to Oregon State in front of a larger-than-normal crowd at Crisler Arena.

A year later at the invitational in Corvallis, Oregon, Michigan finally had its rematch with the Beavers (3-4).

According to Rosen, coming into the match against Oregon State — after both the Wolverines and Beavers had previously downed UNLV and Florida Gulf Coast — there had been minimal dialogue mentioned by coaching staff to the players of the three-set sweep last season.

Yet, contrary to Rosen's remarks, junior outside hitter Alex Hunt said that “revenge was on everyone’s mind against Oregon State.”

Hunt added: “This weekend was really important for us to win this tournament. Especially (because) we knew that Oregon State was going to be a good team. They ruined our perfect, undefeated preseason last year so we had some revenge to take on them.”

Either way, the Wolverines (5-1) bounced back from an upset to the Rockets to defeat the Beavers in four sets to win the challenge.

“Mentally, we were a lot more poised and more comfortable playing as a unit rather than individuals (like against Toledo),” Rosen said.

Hunt, who tallied 44 terminations over the three-match weekend, led Michigan’s high-powered offensive attack. The next-closest hitter to the preseason All-Big Ten team member was freshman middle blocker Jennifer Cross, with 25 kills of her own.

“She is just getting better everyday,” Rosen said of Cross. “She is a very good athlete and also, just a very good volleyball player. She’s not just getting us points on kills. She’s getting us a ton of points off blocks as well. She is going to a be real great player here.”

Rosen commented on how in previous seasons, the secret to the team’s success has been a balanced offensive attack, where he has received contributions from a slew of individuals. But the Wolverines currently play three or four freshmen at a time, none of whom are very experienced, as they are still adjusting to Division-I volleyball.

Additionally, a few players — like Karlee Bruck and Courtney Fletcher — are still trying to find their niches since they are receiving considerably more playing time this season compared to years past.

But in the meantime, senior setter Lexi Zimmerman could still be riding the arm of Hunt, who is on the “top of everyone’s scouting report this seaon,” according to Rosen.

“If we have to be a little less balanced, Al’s ready for that,” he said. “I think she’s the type of kid where the more swings you give her, the more production we are going to get.”