Spartans Split B1G Action to Wrap First Half of Conference Play
10/19/2022 12:19:00 PM | Volleyball
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EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State volleyball is geared up for another split B1G weekend, first traveling to Madison, Wisconsin for a matchup with the No. 5-ranked Wisconsin Badgers at 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 21 before returning to the Breslin Center for a rematch against Indiana at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23. Sunday afternoon's match against the Hoosiers is MSU's Breast Cancer Awareness match, presented by Sparrow Health System.
Last week the Michigan State volleyball program played in front of the largest crowd in Spartan volleyball history with 7,326 fans in attendance at the Breslin Center on Friday night to watch the team take on rival Michigan. The crowd broke the previous program record of 6,838 set in 2016. Michigan State currently holds the seventh best average attendance in the country this season and is on pace to continue its streak of consecutive Top 10 finishes (currently six straight) with an average home attendance of 3,767. This is currently the highest average attendance in program history in just year one of the Leah Johnson coaching era.
Michigan State will host Indiana for its Breast Cancer Awareness Match on Sunday, Oct. 23.
About Wisconsin
Wisconsin is 13-3 overall at 7-1 in Big Ten play this season. The Badgers lone conference loss coming to Minnesota back in September, Wisconsin has rattled off six straight B1G victories since then and have lost just two total sets in their last four matches. Head coach Kelly Sheffield is in his 10th season leading the Badgers with a record of 247-56 in Madison and 520-168 overall including previous coaching stops at UAlbany and Dayton. Wisconsin ranks No. 7 in the latest NCAA RPI and is No. 5 in the KPI.
Wisconsin is hitting .261 as a team to rank No. 29 nationally, while their opponents are hitting just .147 thanks to the Badgers No. 4-ranked defense. Wisconsin is one of the best blocking teams in the country, ranking No. 2 in blocks per set (3.13) due in part to the play of Danielle Hart, who is second nationally with 1.67 blocks per set and Caroline Crawford who ranks No. 16 with 1.40 blocks per set. Hart has 82 total blocks this season (6s-76a) to 80 for Crawford (3s-77a).
On the outside, Sarah Franklin leads Wisconsin with 3.61 kills per set on .237 hitting, alongside Julia Orzol who averages 2.93 kills per set on a .238 hitting percentage. Izzy Ashburn and MJ Hammill handle the setting duties for Wisconsin, with Ashburn averaging a team-high 6.25 assists per set. Libero Gulce Guctekin leads the team with 3.86 digs per set.
About Indiana
Indiana is 10-10 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play this season. The Hoosiers are coached by Steve Aird in his 5th season as a Hoosier and ninth season as a head coach. Aird previously coached four seasons at Maryland prior to his arrival in Bloomington. In five seasons at Indiana, Aird has a record of 53-81 with an overall record of 108-155. Indiana ranks No. 101 in the latest NCAA RPI and is No. 105 in the KPI.
Indiana is hitting .208 as a team which ranks No. 168 in Division I, while opponents have hit .197 against the Hoosiers to rank No. 142 nationally. IU ranks eighth among Big Ten teams in opponent hitting percentage and 13th in hitting as a team. Savannah Kjolhede is No. 56 nationally in hitting, hitting .366 through 20 matches.
Mady Saris leads the team with 3.74 kills per set and 277 kills overall, hitting .203 for the Hoosiers. Morgan Geddes (2.38) joins Saris averaging over 2.00 kills per set. Camryn Haworth leads the team with 674 assists on 9.11 assists per set. Haworth provides a unique look as a setter that isn't afraid to take a swing at the ball, averaging 1.11 kills per set with 82 total kills this season on .251 hitting.
Paula Cerame leads the Hoosiers with 284 digs, average 3.84 digs per set. Haworth is second on the team in digs with 180 to average 2.43 digs per set. Kjolhede leads the team in blocks by a wide margin with 72 total blocks on the season (26s-46a) on .97 blocks per set.
About the Spartans
Michigan State is 10-9 this season with a 1-7 mark in Big Ten play. The Spartans are 6-3 in the Breslin Center this season as the team has enjoyed a strong home court atmosphere. MSU is coached by Leah Johnson in her first year with the program. Johnson arrived in East Lansing in February and is in her 12th year as a head coach overall. Through 12 seasons, Johnson has amassed a career record of 194-160.
Michigan State is led by Maradith O'Gorman's 3.08 points per set as the freshman outside hits .208 through 19 matches. Sophomore Aliyah Moore leads the team in kills per set at 2.85. Freshman outside Selin Aslayan earned starts in both of Michigan State's matches last week, posting a season-high 12 kills on .300 hitting against Indiana. Fifth year Zoe Nunez leads MSU with 8.27 assists per set and 430 assists overall. Nunez recently made her return to the Michigan State lineup along with fifth year Rebecka Poljan. Poljan made her first appearance in over a month in MSU's match against Indiana on Sunday, striking 11 kills and executing four blocks.
Junior Nalani Iosia leads the team in digs with 287, averaging 3.93 digs per set. Freshman Jayhlin Swain has made several starts at DS for the Spartans with 112 total digs and 1.51 digs per set. Freshman Nil Okur leads the team with 58 total blocks (5s-53a) on .92 blocks per set.
Michigan State is 28-56 all-time against Wisconsin and 7-29 when playing those matches in Madison. The Spartans last defeated the Badgers on the road on Sep. 22, 2017, a 3-2 victory for MSU. Michigan State is 53-33 all-time against the Hoosiers. The Spartans are 29-7 when facing the Hoosiers in East Lansing, having won each of the last five meetings against Indiana at home.
Up Next
The Spartans hit the road twice next week, first heading to Minneapolis, Minn. for an 8:00 p.m. ET match against No. 9-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at Maturi Pavilion. MSU heads down the road to Ann Arbor, Mich. for a match against No. 25-ranked Michigan at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30 at the Crisler Center.
