Michigan State University Athletics
Friday, October 23
Piscataway, N.J.
7 PM
Michigan State University
at
Rutgers
Photo by: Ynhi Le
10/22/2026 2:42:00 PM | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, Mich. -Â Michigan State volleyball concludes its four-match road swing this weekend, beginning Friday, Oct. 23 at Rutgers at 7 p.m. before visiting Maryland for a noon match on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Friday's match at Rutgers will stream on B1G+, while Sunday's match at Maryland will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network with Jason Knapp and Audrey Flaugh on the call.
MSU is 15-3 (5-3 B1G) after splitting its conference road matches last weekend, falling in four sets at Illinois on Oct. 15 before a 3-1 win at Northwestern on Oct. 17. The Spartans dropped out of the AVCA rankings after two weeks at No. 22 but tied UCLA with 118 points as the first team out in this week's poll.
The Spartans hit at a combined .262 clip across last week's matches, including a .313 clip against Northwestern. MSU also ranked fourth in the conference in kills per set (13.88) and in a tie for second in service aces per set with 2.00.
Senior outside hitter Alanna Bankston combined for 33 kills over MSU's two matches last week to post a conference-leading 4.71 kills per set, including a career-high and team-leading 20 kills at Illinois. She followed with 13 kills in MSU's win over Northwestern to record her team-leading 14th double-digit kill match this season. Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews led MSU in kills at Northwestern with a career-high 17 for her third-straight double-digit kill match. Andrews also ranked third in the conference last week with 0.63 service aces per set.
Senior libero Lia Schneider led all B1G players in digs per set across last week's matches with 5.00, posting a team-high 17 digs at Illinois before recording a season-best 23 digs in the Spartans' win at Northwestern. Schneider has recorded 11 double-digit dig matches this season, with seven coming in MSU's last eight matches.
MSU's middle blockers, Zora Hardison and Carmen Waye, each totaled nine blocks across last week's matches to average 1.13 blocks per set. Overall, Waye is seventh in conference this season in blocks per set (1.26) and Hardison ranks 10th (1.21), while the pair is also inside the conference's top 10 in hitting percentage (Waye, fourth, .409, Hardison, eighth, .382).
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Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long totaled 84 assists across last week's matches to average 10.50Â assists per set, posting 38 against Illinois along with 11 digs for a double-double before providing 46 assists against Northwestern.Â
About Rutgers
Rutgers is 10-10 overall this season and 1-7 in the conference. The Scarlet Knights dropped road contests at Washington and Oregon last week, both in four sets.
MSU leads the all-time series, 18-3, including an 8-1 record at Rutgers. The Spartans have won the last five matchups between the two schools and swept the Scarlet Knights last season in East Lansing on Nov. 1. MSU's last loss in the series came on Sept. 25, 2022, on the road.
Head coach Caitlin Schweihofer is in her seventh season at Rutgers in 2026.
About Maryland
Maryland is 12-7 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten this season after falling at Wisconsin and Minnesota last week.Â
The Spartans lead the all-time series, 17-4, and hold a 7-3 record on the road. MSU has won its last two matches against Maryland, last falling on Nov. 7, 2024 in College Park.
Head coach Adam Hughes is in his ninth season with the Terrapins.
Up Next
MSU returns home to host Indiana on Friday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. on BTN before hosting Nebraska on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4:30 p.m.
Friday's match at Rutgers will stream on B1G+, while Sunday's match at Maryland will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network with Jason Knapp and Audrey Flaugh on the call.
MSU is 15-3 (5-3 B1G) after splitting its conference road matches last weekend, falling in four sets at Illinois on Oct. 15 before a 3-1 win at Northwestern on Oct. 17. The Spartans dropped out of the AVCA rankings after two weeks at No. 22 but tied UCLA with 118 points as the first team out in this week's poll.
The Spartans hit at a combined .262 clip across last week's matches, including a .313 clip against Northwestern. MSU also ranked fourth in the conference in kills per set (13.88) and in a tie for second in service aces per set with 2.00.
Senior outside hitter Alanna Bankston combined for 33 kills over MSU's two matches last week to post a conference-leading 4.71 kills per set, including a career-high and team-leading 20 kills at Illinois. She followed with 13 kills in MSU's win over Northwestern to record her team-leading 14th double-digit kill match this season. Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews led MSU in kills at Northwestern with a career-high 17 for her third-straight double-digit kill match. Andrews also ranked third in the conference last week with 0.63 service aces per set.
Senior libero Lia Schneider led all B1G players in digs per set across last week's matches with 5.00, posting a team-high 17 digs at Illinois before recording a season-best 23 digs in the Spartans' win at Northwestern. Schneider has recorded 11 double-digit dig matches this season, with seven coming in MSU's last eight matches.
MSU's middle blockers, Zora Hardison and Carmen Waye, each totaled nine blocks across last week's matches to average 1.13 blocks per set. Overall, Waye is seventh in conference this season in blocks per set (1.26) and Hardison ranks 10th (1.21), while the pair is also inside the conference's top 10 in hitting percentage (Waye, fourth, .409, Hardison, eighth, .382).
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Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long totaled 84 assists across last week's matches to average 10.50Â assists per set, posting 38 against Illinois along with 11 digs for a double-double before providing 46 assists against Northwestern.Â
About Rutgers
Rutgers is 10-10 overall this season and 1-7 in the conference. The Scarlet Knights dropped road contests at Washington and Oregon last week, both in four sets.
MSU leads the all-time series, 18-3, including an 8-1 record at Rutgers. The Spartans have won the last five matchups between the two schools and swept the Scarlet Knights last season in East Lansing on Nov. 1. MSU's last loss in the series came on Sept. 25, 2022, on the road.
Head coach Caitlin Schweihofer is in her seventh season at Rutgers in 2026.
About Maryland
Maryland is 12-7 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten this season after falling at Wisconsin and Minnesota last week.Â
The Spartans lead the all-time series, 17-4, and hold a 7-3 record on the road. MSU has won its last two matches against Maryland, last falling on Nov. 7, 2024 in College Park.
Head coach Adam Hughes is in his ninth season with the Terrapins.
Up Next
MSU returns home to host Indiana on Friday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. on BTN before hosting Nebraska on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4:30 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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