Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Ynhi Le
11/4/2026 4:00:00 PM | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, Mich. -Â Michigan State volleyball seniors Alanna Bankston, Zora Hardison, Zuzanna Kulig and Lia Schneider have announced their returns to MSU for a fifth season in 2027.Â
"I am thrilled that Alanna, Zora, Zuzanna and Lia have decided to finish their collegiate careers as Spartans," said head coach Kristen Kelsay. "They have each made a significant impact on our program and will continue to elevate Michigan State Volleyball during their time in East Lansing."
Bankston, an outside hitter from Omaha, Nebraska, has had a breakout year in East Lansing after transferring from Louisville ahead of the 2026 season. She leads the Spartans in points per set (3.89) and kills per set (3.53) in 2026 and has set career highs in single-match kills (21), digs (11), total blocks (5) and service aces (3) this season. Bankston has played in 72 sets across 20 matches with 19 starts and has posted three double-doubles while recording a team-best 16 matches with double-digit kills. Â
Hardison, who also joined the Spartans this season after three seasons at Rutgers, has established herself as one of the top middle blockers in the Big Ten in 2026. The Palm Bay, Florida, native ranks inside the top 10 in the conference in both hitting efficiency (.381) and blocks per set (1.17) this season and is one of three Spartans to play in every match in 2026 while making 21 starts. She has set career highs in kills (16, twice) and total blocks (9) this season and surpassed 300 career blocks on Oct. 11 vs. Iowa.Â
Kulig will make her return to action in 2027 after taking the 2026 season to recover from injury. The middle blocker from Chrzanow, Poland, holds a .344 career hitting percentage and has tallied 290 blocks in three seasons, including 154 during the 2024 season, which ranks as the 10th-most in a single season in program history. She also holds a single-match career high of 12 total blocks, which ties for the fourth-most blocks in a single match in program history. For her career, Kulig has played in 242 sets across 68 matches with 67 starts.Â
Schneider has spent the last two seasons in MSU's libero jersey after transferring from South Florida, joining Kelsay for her first season in 2025. Schneider, who hails from St. Charles, Illinois, has totaled 1,223 digs for her career and is averaging a team-best 3.16 digs per set this season while posting 14 double-digit dig matches. She is one of two MSU players to start in every match in 2026 and the only Spartan to play in all 79 sets. Â
MSU earned its first national ranking since 2018 this season and holds a 17-5 overall record and 7-5 mark in Big Ten play. The Spartans begin the final three weeks of conference action this week, taking on No. 7 Wisconsin on Thursday, Nov. 5 inside UW Field House at 8 p.m. ET before returning home to face Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Breslin Center.Â
"I am thrilled that Alanna, Zora, Zuzanna and Lia have decided to finish their collegiate careers as Spartans," said head coach Kristen Kelsay. "They have each made a significant impact on our program and will continue to elevate Michigan State Volleyball during their time in East Lansing."
Bankston, an outside hitter from Omaha, Nebraska, has had a breakout year in East Lansing after transferring from Louisville ahead of the 2026 season. She leads the Spartans in points per set (3.89) and kills per set (3.53) in 2026 and has set career highs in single-match kills (21), digs (11), total blocks (5) and service aces (3) this season. Bankston has played in 72 sets across 20 matches with 19 starts and has posted three double-doubles while recording a team-best 16 matches with double-digit kills. Â
Hardison, who also joined the Spartans this season after three seasons at Rutgers, has established herself as one of the top middle blockers in the Big Ten in 2026. The Palm Bay, Florida, native ranks inside the top 10 in the conference in both hitting efficiency (.381) and blocks per set (1.17) this season and is one of three Spartans to play in every match in 2026 while making 21 starts. She has set career highs in kills (16, twice) and total blocks (9) this season and surpassed 300 career blocks on Oct. 11 vs. Iowa.Â
Kulig will make her return to action in 2027 after taking the 2026 season to recover from injury. The middle blocker from Chrzanow, Poland, holds a .344 career hitting percentage and has tallied 290 blocks in three seasons, including 154 during the 2024 season, which ranks as the 10th-most in a single season in program history. She also holds a single-match career high of 12 total blocks, which ties for the fourth-most blocks in a single match in program history. For her career, Kulig has played in 242 sets across 68 matches with 67 starts.Â
Schneider has spent the last two seasons in MSU's libero jersey after transferring from South Florida, joining Kelsay for her first season in 2025. Schneider, who hails from St. Charles, Illinois, has totaled 1,223 digs for her career and is averaging a team-best 3.16 digs per set this season while posting 14 double-digit dig matches. She is one of two MSU players to start in every match in 2026 and the only Spartan to play in all 79 sets. Â
MSU earned its first national ranking since 2018 this season and holds a 17-5 overall record and 7-5 mark in Big Ten play. The Spartans begin the final three weeks of conference action this week, taking on No. 7 Wisconsin on Thursday, Nov. 5 inside UW Field House at 8 p.m. ET before returning home to face Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Breslin Center.Â
Players Mentioned
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