Friday, October 3
Evanston, Ill.
8 PM ET/7 PM CT
Michigan State University
at
Northwestern
Photo by: Ynhi Le
Spartans Face Northwestern, Illinois on the Road This Weekend
10/1/2025 3:17:00 PM | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, Mich. -Â Michigan State volleyball (11-1, 1-1 B1G) is back on the road this week to take on Northwestern (11-3, 1-1 B1G) in Evanston on Friday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. ET before traveling to Illinois (7-4, 2-0 B1G) on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. ET.
Both of this weekend's matches will stream on B1G+.
Friday's match against the Wildcats will be the first of five Big Ten | Discover Volleyball Challenge matches for MSU. Select conference matches played during the month of October will count toward the inaugural Discover In-Season Volleyball Challenge. Each team will play five designated challenge matches throughout the month, with the winner determined by the highest win total across the five games. MSU's next match in the challenge is at home against Iowa on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
The Spartans got back into the win column in their last outing with a home sweep over in-state rival Michigan on Sept. 27. MSU hit .316 for the match, its second-best single-match hitting percentage of the season, and held the Wolverines to .143 hitting. Overall in 2025, MSU is hitting .271 as a team and holding its opponents to a .152 clip, the 13th-best opponent hitting percentage in the NCAA.Â
Outside hitter Bianca Mumcular led the Spartans in kills and digs against Michigan, posting a career-high 15 and 12, respectively. It was the third double-double for the freshman this season and third in MSU's last four matches. Mumcular also hit a match and season-best .481 (15-2-27) against the Wolverines and added a pair of blocks. Nine of Mumcular's 15 kills came in the third set.Â
Junior outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska was the second Spartan to record double-digit kills against Michigan with 13. She has posted double-digit kills in seven of MSU's last eight matches and is averaging 2.98 kills per set in 2025, having played in all but one set so far for the Spartans this season.
Redshirt freshman Malayah Long led the Spartans in assists against Michigan with 35. MSU currently ranks 11th in the NCAA and second in the B1G in assists/set with 13.28.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern is 11-3 this season and 1-1 in the B1G after a 3-1 loss to Indiana and 3-2 win against Oregon, both at home, last week. Friday will be another visit to a prior coaching stop for Wheaton, Illinois, native and MSU head coach Kristen Kelsay, who spent the 2019 and 2020 (spring 2021) seasons as an assistant at Northwestern.
MSU leads the all-time series, 45-38, against the Wildcats, while Northwestern holds a 20-18 advantage in Evanston. The Spartans won the last meeting, 3-1, last season on Nov. 27 in East Lansing. MSU also won the last meeting at Northwestern in a five-setter on Sept. 29, 2023. The Spartans have not dropped a road contest in the series since the 2019 season.
Head coach Tim Nollan is in his second season at Northwestern.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
Illinois is 7-4 overall and 2-0 in the B1G this season after opening conference play with a home win against Oregon and a road upset at then-No. 10 Purdue. The Illini will play at No. 7 Wisconsin on Thursday this week before hosting MSU on Sunday.
The Illini lead the all-time series, 58-28, including a 28-9 record in Champaign. Illinois won the last meeting in the series, 3-2, in East Lansing on Oct. 12 last season. MSU has not won a contest in the series since meeting at Penn State in the NCAA Sweet 16 on Dec. 8, 2017 to advance to the Elite Eight. The Spartans have not won in Champaign since a five-set win on Nov. 16, 2012, which was also a reverse sweep. Kelsay was a junior on that team.Â
Chris Tamas is in his ninth season as head coach in 2025.
UP NEXT
MSU begins a four-match home stand on Friday, Oct. 10 against Iowa at 7:30 p.m. inside the Breslin Center.
Both of this weekend's matches will stream on B1G+.
Friday's match against the Wildcats will be the first of five Big Ten | Discover Volleyball Challenge matches for MSU. Select conference matches played during the month of October will count toward the inaugural Discover In-Season Volleyball Challenge. Each team will play five designated challenge matches throughout the month, with the winner determined by the highest win total across the five games. MSU's next match in the challenge is at home against Iowa on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
The Spartans got back into the win column in their last outing with a home sweep over in-state rival Michigan on Sept. 27. MSU hit .316 for the match, its second-best single-match hitting percentage of the season, and held the Wolverines to .143 hitting. Overall in 2025, MSU is hitting .271 as a team and holding its opponents to a .152 clip, the 13th-best opponent hitting percentage in the NCAA.Â
Outside hitter Bianca Mumcular led the Spartans in kills and digs against Michigan, posting a career-high 15 and 12, respectively. It was the third double-double for the freshman this season and third in MSU's last four matches. Mumcular also hit a match and season-best .481 (15-2-27) against the Wolverines and added a pair of blocks. Nine of Mumcular's 15 kills came in the third set.Â
Junior outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska was the second Spartan to record double-digit kills against Michigan with 13. She has posted double-digit kills in seven of MSU's last eight matches and is averaging 2.98 kills per set in 2025, having played in all but one set so far for the Spartans this season.
Redshirt freshman Malayah Long led the Spartans in assists against Michigan with 35. MSU currently ranks 11th in the NCAA and second in the B1G in assists/set with 13.28.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern is 11-3 this season and 1-1 in the B1G after a 3-1 loss to Indiana and 3-2 win against Oregon, both at home, last week. Friday will be another visit to a prior coaching stop for Wheaton, Illinois, native and MSU head coach Kristen Kelsay, who spent the 2019 and 2020 (spring 2021) seasons as an assistant at Northwestern.
MSU leads the all-time series, 45-38, against the Wildcats, while Northwestern holds a 20-18 advantage in Evanston. The Spartans won the last meeting, 3-1, last season on Nov. 27 in East Lansing. MSU also won the last meeting at Northwestern in a five-setter on Sept. 29, 2023. The Spartans have not dropped a road contest in the series since the 2019 season.
Head coach Tim Nollan is in his second season at Northwestern.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
Illinois is 7-4 overall and 2-0 in the B1G this season after opening conference play with a home win against Oregon and a road upset at then-No. 10 Purdue. The Illini will play at No. 7 Wisconsin on Thursday this week before hosting MSU on Sunday.
The Illini lead the all-time series, 58-28, including a 28-9 record in Champaign. Illinois won the last meeting in the series, 3-2, in East Lansing on Oct. 12 last season. MSU has not won a contest in the series since meeting at Penn State in the NCAA Sweet 16 on Dec. 8, 2017 to advance to the Elite Eight. The Spartans have not won in Champaign since a five-set win on Nov. 16, 2012, which was also a reverse sweep. Kelsay was a junior on that team.Â
Chris Tamas is in his ninth season as head coach in 2025.
UP NEXT
MSU begins a four-match home stand on Friday, Oct. 10 against Iowa at 7:30 p.m. inside the Breslin Center.
Players Mentioned
Second Serve: Danyle Courtley's Comeback | Spartans All-Access
Tuesday, September 30
Kristen Kelsay Postgame Comments | Michigan
Saturday, September 27
Celebrating the Past | Alumni Weekend | Spartans All-Access
Friday, September 26
Kristen Kelsay Postgame Comments | Chicago State
Sunday, August 31