MSU Welcomes Huskers Wednesday, Heads to Indiana Saturday
11/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
| Michigan State vs. No. 8 Nebraska, Indiana | |
| Dates | Wednesday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m. vs. No. 8 Nebraska Jenison Field House Saturday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m. at Indiana; University Gym, Bloomington, Ind. |
| Tickets | Spartan Ticket Office (Wednesday) |
| TV/Video Stream | BTN+ vs. Nebraska |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network; Keaton Gillogly, pxp | Download the SSN App |
| Live Statistics | | at Indiana |
| Download Game Notes | Michigan State | Nebraska | Indiana |
| Social Media | @MichStVB  | Facebook  |
| Promotions | Wednesday MSUFCU Day Free admission for two with MSUFCU membership Booster Club Day (Free admission with proof of membership in an MSU athletics booster club) International Student Day |
SERIES NOTES
• Michigan State will look to snap a five-game skid with a home match vs. No. 8 Nebraska on Wednesday, and will also travel to Indiana on Saturday to complete week eight of B1G play.
• On Wednesday, BTN will debut a unique look at the country's premier volleyball conference. B1G Volleyball Extravaganza, beginning at 7 pm ET, features live look-ins at all 14 Big Ten women's volleyball teams playing in seven conference matches throughout the evening. Read the complete release here.
• The Cornhuskers come into Wednesday's match with a 20-4 overall record and 11-3 mark in Big Ten play, which includes four straight 3-0 sweeps to their credit. MSU owns a 2-14-2 record all-time vs. Nebraska, a series that stands 7-2 in favor of the Huskers since they joined the Big Ten prior to the 2011 season. Both MSU wins in the series came in East Lansing, in 2012 and 2013.
• Nebraska took a 3-1 win (25-23, 15-25, 26-28, 15-25) earlier this season in Lincoln. Chloe Reinig and Brooke Kranda led the MSU offense with 12 kills each, while both Rachel Minarick (40A, 11D) and Holly Toliver (10K, 11 D) posted double-doubles. Kadie Rolfzen led the Huskers with 18 kills and 10 digs, while twin sister Amber had eight blocks and seven kills.
• IU has dropped four straight and nine of their last 10 matches, which includes losses to Iowa and Nebraska last weekend. Michigan State owns a 48-29 edge all-time against Indiana, and has won eight of the last nine meetings between the teams. The Spartans won both matchups in 2014, winning in four sets in Bloomington and taking the sweep at home.
• Michigan State opened up Big Ten play with a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-20, 25-20) of Indiana on Sept. 26. The Spartans won their sixth straight match behind 10 kills from Kranda, while classmate Megan Tompkins hit .700, posting seven kills and a match-high five blocks. Allison Hammond and Awele Nwaeze shared the Indiana lead with eight kills each in the match.
TEAM NOTES
• A 3-0 loss at Wisconsin Sunday was the fifth consecutive overall for the Spartans, all in league play, which is MSU's longest skid since a six-game losing streak in the 2010 season. Prior to this five-game skid, the Spartans had lost back-to-back games just twice this season, but never had more than two consecutive losses.
• MSU has faced five ranked opponents in its last six matches, with three of those in the top six of the AVCA National poll. MSU defeated then-No. 6 Ohio State (3-0), and has fallen to No. 5 Penn State (0-3), No. 21 Illinois (1-3) No. 4 Minnesota (0-3), and No. 13 Wisconsin (0-3) in that stretch.
• MSU concluded the first half of Big Ten play at 6-4, and now at 6-8, sits in a eighth-place tie with Michigan. MSU was .500 at the halfway mark in 2014 (5-5), 6-4 at the midpoint of the 2013 season, and went 4-6 in 2012 before rallying for a 7-3 second half to finish 11-9.
• A 3-0 loss to Wisconsin dropped MSU's record to an identical 6-8 in Big Ten play last season (and MSU was 13-12 overall at the time), but MSU rallied for a 5-1 finish in Conference play play to wrap up the year at 11-9 in B1G contests, and earned its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament Bid.
• MSU played seven of its first 10 Big Ten games at Jenison Field House, and opened the second half with four straight road games. MSU has one road game and one home game in each of the final three weeks of the season.
• MSU has concluded its season meetings with all six "one-plays" on the schedule this season. In the scheduling format employed beginning in 2014, each team plays seven teams twice and six teams just once. The Spartans went 2-4 with wins against Maryland, and No. 6 Ohio State, falling to No. 5 Penn State, No. 21 Illinois, No. 4 Minnesota, and No. 13 Wisconsin. • MSU is no longer receiving votes in the AVCA poll after its losses to Illinois and Northwestern Halloween weekend MSU was among teams receiving votes the previous eight weeks after starting the season at No. 19 in the survey. Seven Big Ten teams appear in the top 25, in addition to non-conference opponents Kentucky (18) and North Carolina (25).
• The first RPI rankings of the year were released on Oct. 4, and the Spartans come in at No. 49 in the fifth release. Five teams (No. 1 Minnesota, No. 5 Penn State, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 11 Ohio State and No. 17 Illinois) populate the top 20 overall. Purdue (34), Michigan (36), Northwestern (38), and MSU (49) give the Big Ten 10 of the top 50 teams. In addition to the 10 B1G schools, two MSU non-conference opponents are in the RPI top 50: Kentucky (13) and North Carolina (27). In the next RPI grouping, Iowa (57), Duke (87) Virginia Tech (91), and Indiana (94), also appear.
• In the latest NCAA rankings, the Spartans come in at eighth in average attendance, welcoming 2,815 fans per match at Jenison Field House. With 10 matches at home so far this season, MSU ranks 11th in total attendance (28,148). MSU has just 13 home matches in 2015, the fewest since the 2009 season.
• MSU's last three opponents have hit .310 (Northwestern), .330 (Minnesota) and .365 (Wisconsin) - the first three opponents this season to hit .300 or better vs. MSU.
• MSU has been out-blocked by a 42-69 margin over the last six matches, but five of MSU's last six opponents rank first (PSU), second (Minnesota), third (Wisconsin) fourth (Illinois) and sixth (OSU) in the Big Ten. The Spartans are 3-8 when being out-blocked this season, and currently rank seventh in the B1G in blocks (2.43/s).
• MSU was out-blocked for the sixth straight match vs. Wisconsin, after being out-blocked just twice in its first eight Big Ten contests.
• Against the Badgers, MSU failed to have any players with double-digit kills for just the second time this season (Penn State on Oct. 24). MSU posted season-lows in kills (24), assists (23) and digs (19) in the match.
• MSU has its two poorest hitting performances of the season in this five-match skid - vs. Penn State (.099) and Wisconsin (.012). MSU's best hitting performance in the skid came against Northwestern (.246). MSU is ranked eighth in the Big Ten overall in hitting percentage (.234) and opponent hitting percentage (.199)
• MSU has opened with a first-set victory in 18 of its 25 matches, and is 14-4 in those contests. The four losses when winning the first set have all come in Big Ten play, to No. 20 Purdue, No. 23 Michigan, No. 4 Nebraska, and Northwestern. The seven times MSU lost the first set, it resulted in a Spartan match loss.
• Eleven of MSU's 14 victories this season have come by 3-0 decisions, the other a five-set win over Butler and a four-set victories against North Carolina and Maryland. MSU has been on the wrong side of four 3-0 decisions, three of which have come in the last three weeks vs. Penn State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
• The Spartans host Northwestern next Wednesday at Jenison Field House, then will head back on the road for a match at Rutgers next Saturday.
PLAYER NOTES
• MSU is spreading out its offense, with five starters averaging between 2.25 and 3.15 kills per set. Brooke Kranda maintains the team lead at 3.15, followed by Chloe Reinig (2.82), Alyssa Garvelink (2.39), Allyssah Fitterer (2.35), and Holly Toliver (2.29).
• Kranda led MSU offensively last weekend, posting 15 kills against the Gophers, her highest total since posting 15 on Oct. 3 at Michigan. She added eight kills (MSU's match high) against Wisconsin on Sunday as well. This weekend was Kranda's first time leading the Spartans in kills since posting 12 in an Oct. 7 loss at No. 4 Nebraska.
• Kranda's 3.15 kills per set is 13th in the Big Ten.
• Chloe Reinig had 10 kills against Minnesota, her third consecutive match with double-digit kills. She had just three double-digit kill outings in the first half of Big Ten play after coming off an injury that forced her to miss seven matches - including the first two B1G matches of the season. She also added four blocks against the Gophers, her second-highest match total this season. Reinighad 12 and 14 kills, respectively, last week in the matches vs. Illinois and Northwestern.
• Reinig, who was held without a kill in limited action at Wisconsin, added four blocks against the Gophers and a pair of digs. On the year, Reinig averages 2.82 kills and 0.58 blocks per set
• Alyssa Garvelink shared the match lead of five blocks vs. the Gophers, and added four kills; she had three kills in the match at Wisconsin.
• Garvelink ranks 14th in the Big Ten in blocks per set (1.10), and averages the same in Big Ten matches only, where she ranks 12th. She also averages 2.39 kills per set overall, and 2.08 in Big Ten matches.
• Garvelink's five solo blocks against Michigan (Sept. 30) is tied for the most in the Big Ten for any player in the Conference this season. She has been the top kill producer for the Spartans in three of the last seven matches and has led MSU in blocks in 13 of 25 contests.
• Autumn Christenson came off the bench and was a bright spot for the Spartans against Wisconsin. Christenson, who missed a significant part of the season with injury, posted a season-best four kills and added three blocks against the Badgers, hitting .250.
• Holly Toliver Had five digs in each match last weekend at Minnesota and Wisconsin, sharing the team lead against the Badgers in MSU's season-low team total of 19 digs. • Toliver is contributing 2.29 kills and 1.43 digs per set. In Big Ten play only, she averages 2.35 kills and 1.67 digs per frame. • Toliver's wicked jump serve has yielded 20 service aces this season, the most on the team. She ranks fifth in the Big Ten in service aces (0.29/s), and posted a career-best four aces in MSU's win over Ohio State (Oct. 21). • Rachel Minarick, who has alternated between running a 6-2 and 5-1 this season, is averaging 2.98 assists per set, which is 10th in the Big Ten overall and 8.96A/s is 11th in conference matches only. She is also averaging 0.54 blocks, 2.20 digs, and 1.07 kills per set on the season, while hitting .258.
• Allyssah Fitterer had three kills, hit .286, and recorded a team-best four blocks at Wisconsin, and also contributed three kills and a pair of blocks in the match at Minnesota. She leads the Spartans in hitting percentage (.289), averaging 2.35 kills, 0.77 digs and 0.74 blocks per set.
• Minarick posted the 11th triple-double in MSU history against North Carolina. In her triple-double she posted career-bests in kills (11) and aces (4), while recording 25 assists and 10 digs and also contributing two blocks. MSU's last triple-double was by setter Allison Ianni, who did it in the 2006 season opener vs. IPFW (55 assists, 11 kills, 10 digs.) Minarick is the lone player in the Big Ten with a triple-double this season. She has twice earned Big Ten Setter of the Week honors in 2015.
• Minarick is just the eighth athlete in Big Ten history to earn the Setter of the Week honors more than once in a single season. Micha Hancock of Penn State won it six times in the 2012 season as a sophomore, and five times each in her junior and senior seasons. The Setter of the Week honor was added to the weekly awards lineup in advance of the 2012 season.
• MSU made a change at libero after the match at Illinois. It is the second change this season - Kristen Muir started there in the first six matches of the season, and Abby Monson wore the alternate-colored jersey for the next 17 matches before Muir has returned to wearing it over the last three matches.
• Muir has posted four double-digit dig efforts in three of the last five matches and seven double-digit matches in MSU's 14 Big Ten contests. She led the team with nine digs vs. Minnesota, and shared the team lead of five digs with Holly Toliver against the Badgers.
• Monson is averaging 3.32 digs per set, which ranks 14th in the Big Ten, while her 3.31 per set in Big Ten play is 12th. In her 17 matches playing the libero position, she was held without double-digit digs just once - in the Oct. 17 match vs. Rutgers, where she had nine.
• Monson contributed five assists vs. Penn State, which is her second-highest total in a Big Ten match behind the eight she posted at Iowa. She averages 0.69 assists per set on the season.
• In the matches vs. Minnesota and Wisconsin, MSU failed to have a single player reach double-digit digs in a match for the first time this season.
• MSU had four players with double-digit digs in consecutive matches vs. Penn State and Illinois, the third and fourth time this season MSU had four in a single match (vs. North Carolina, vs. Michigan on Oct. 3).
• Megan Tompkins was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 14, and Abby Monson earned the same honor on Sept. 21. This gives MSU four different players a Conference weekly honor in the same season for the first time since 1999, when Jessica Sanborn, Erin Hartley, Angela Morley, and Vicki Basil had all earned Player of the Week honors. The only other time it happened in school history was in 1995 -- when Player of the Week honors were earned by Dana Cooke, Veronica Morales, Val Sterk,(twice) and Jenna Wrobel.
• Tompkins was the Defensive Player of the Week after the Holly Young Invitational at New Hampshire, in which she compiled her career best nine blocks vs. Delaware (Sept. 12). That's tied for the third-most blocks in a single match in the Big Ten this season (along with Garvelink). On the year, Tompkins is second among Spartans and 13th in the Big Ten with 1.09 blocks per set.
• Five weekly Player of the Week awards have been won by this current Spartan team, which has only been accomplished by the 1995 team as well -- Val Sterk was the Player of the Week twice in addition to Cooke, Morales, and Wrobel each winning once. Minarick is the two-time winner of the 2015 squad.
• The season of junior transfer and two-time All-American Autumn Bailey came to an end before it really even got started. Bailey suffered a leg injury against Kentucky in the season opener on Aug. 28, and will miss the remainder of the year. She will be eligible to petition for a medical hardship waiver to have two more years to play in East Lansing. Bailey had a double-double in the Green & White exhibition match, and also had a double-double (11k, 12d) vs. Kentucky before leaving the match with injury.
