Michigan State University Athletics
Tuesday, September 1
Ann Arbor, Mich.
4:30 PM
Michigan State University
vs
LSU
Photo by: Ynhi Le
Volleyball Heads to Ann Arbor for Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge Week
8/31/2026 3:42:00 PM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -Â Michigan State volleyball travels to Ann Arbor for a pair of matches in the inaugural Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge this week. The Spartans will take on LSU on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 4:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and South Carolina on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. on B1G+ inside Michigan's Crisler Center.Â
MSU's match against the Tigers will air nationally on Big Ten Network with Chris Vosters and Mac Podraza on the call. Wednesday's match against South Carolina will stream on B1G+. Fans can tune into Scott Moore's call of the action on MSUSpartans.com or via the Michigan State Athletics app for both matches.
MSU is 2-0 after defeating Miami (3-2) and LIU (3-0) in its season-opening weekend. The Spartans posted a .366 hitting percentage as a team across last week's matches, including an impressive .400 clip against LIU on Saturday, its best single-match  hitting percentage since the 2023 season. The Spartans also held the Sharks to just -.014 hitting on Saturday.Â
Individually, junior transfer opposite Hayley Ogden had a spectacular opening weekend as a Spartan, combining for 22 kills on conference-leading .636 hitting over MSU's two matches. She hit .591 against the Hurricanes (14-1-22) and led MSU in kills (8) and total blocks (6) against LIU, putting together an efficient .727 clip (8-0-11) against the Sharks without an error. Her .727 hitting percentage tied Emma Monks' record (Sept. 16, 2022) for the highest single-match hitting percentage by a Spartan inside the Breslin Center.
Senior Karolina Staniszewska led MSU in kills in the Spartans' win over Miami with a career-high tying 23 on .320 hitting. She just missed a double-double with nine digs, surpassing 500 career digs in the match, while her 23 kills were the most in a match by any player in the conference so far this season. Staniszewska was one of three Spartans to post double-digit kills against the Hurricanes, joined by Ogden (14) and a debuting Alanna Bankston, who set career highs in both kills (12) and digs (10) against Miami for her first-career double-double.
MSU's middles also showed out against the Hurricanes, with senior transfer Zora Hardison posting nine kills on .444 hitting and a team-high six blocks. Junior Carmen Waye put down eight kills on 13 swings for a .615 clip in MSU's win over Miami and tallied three blocks.
Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long led MSU in assists against Miami with 52, surpassing 50 assists in a match for the third time in her career. She also reached the 1,000-career assists mark in that match. Long's 52 assists against the Hurricanes are the most by any player in a single match so far this season in the B1G.
Senior libero Lia Schneider led MSU in digs in both matches last weekend, tying Bankston with 10 on Friday and tallying five on Saturday.
Overall, MSU ranked fourth in the conference in hitting percentage across last weekend's matches (.366) and first in service aces per set (2.88).
About LSU
LSU went 2-0 in its opening weekend with home wins over Wake Forest (3-2) and Incarnate Word (3-1). Senior outside hitter Journee Robinson was named to the Preseason All-SEC, while the Tigers were picked to finish eighth in the SEC Preseason Poll.
Tuesday's meeting between MSU and LSU will be the third all-time between the two schools and first since Sept. 14, 1991. LSU leads the all-time series, 2-0.
Head coach Tonya Johnson is in her fifth season leading the Tigers.
About South Carolina
South Carolina also opened the 2026 season at 2-0, sweeping both UNCG and Northeastern at home. The Gamecocks were picked to finish 14th in the SEC Preseason Poll.
MSU leads the all-time series, 4-1, dropping only the most recent contest between the two schools in Columbia on Sept. 18, 2004.
South Carolina is led by second-year head coach  Sarah Rumely Noble.
Up Next
MSU travels to Mount Pleasant, Michigan to take on Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
MSU's match against the Tigers will air nationally on Big Ten Network with Chris Vosters and Mac Podraza on the call. Wednesday's match against South Carolina will stream on B1G+. Fans can tune into Scott Moore's call of the action on MSUSpartans.com or via the Michigan State Athletics app for both matches.
MSU is 2-0 after defeating Miami (3-2) and LIU (3-0) in its season-opening weekend. The Spartans posted a .366 hitting percentage as a team across last week's matches, including an impressive .400 clip against LIU on Saturday, its best single-match  hitting percentage since the 2023 season. The Spartans also held the Sharks to just -.014 hitting on Saturday.Â
Individually, junior transfer opposite Hayley Ogden had a spectacular opening weekend as a Spartan, combining for 22 kills on conference-leading .636 hitting over MSU's two matches. She hit .591 against the Hurricanes (14-1-22) and led MSU in kills (8) and total blocks (6) against LIU, putting together an efficient .727 clip (8-0-11) against the Sharks without an error. Her .727 hitting percentage tied Emma Monks' record (Sept. 16, 2022) for the highest single-match hitting percentage by a Spartan inside the Breslin Center.
Senior Karolina Staniszewska led MSU in kills in the Spartans' win over Miami with a career-high tying 23 on .320 hitting. She just missed a double-double with nine digs, surpassing 500 career digs in the match, while her 23 kills were the most in a match by any player in the conference so far this season. Staniszewska was one of three Spartans to post double-digit kills against the Hurricanes, joined by Ogden (14) and a debuting Alanna Bankston, who set career highs in both kills (12) and digs (10) against Miami for her first-career double-double.
MSU's middles also showed out against the Hurricanes, with senior transfer Zora Hardison posting nine kills on .444 hitting and a team-high six blocks. Junior Carmen Waye put down eight kills on 13 swings for a .615 clip in MSU's win over Miami and tallied three blocks.
Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long led MSU in assists against Miami with 52, surpassing 50 assists in a match for the third time in her career. She also reached the 1,000-career assists mark in that match. Long's 52 assists against the Hurricanes are the most by any player in a single match so far this season in the B1G.
Senior libero Lia Schneider led MSU in digs in both matches last weekend, tying Bankston with 10 on Friday and tallying five on Saturday.
Overall, MSU ranked fourth in the conference in hitting percentage across last weekend's matches (.366) and first in service aces per set (2.88).
About LSU
LSU went 2-0 in its opening weekend with home wins over Wake Forest (3-2) and Incarnate Word (3-1). Senior outside hitter Journee Robinson was named to the Preseason All-SEC, while the Tigers were picked to finish eighth in the SEC Preseason Poll.
Tuesday's meeting between MSU and LSU will be the third all-time between the two schools and first since Sept. 14, 1991. LSU leads the all-time series, 2-0.
Head coach Tonya Johnson is in her fifth season leading the Tigers.
About South Carolina
South Carolina also opened the 2026 season at 2-0, sweeping both UNCG and Northeastern at home. The Gamecocks were picked to finish 14th in the SEC Preseason Poll.
MSU leads the all-time series, 4-1, dropping only the most recent contest between the two schools in Columbia on Sept. 18, 2004.
South Carolina is led by second-year head coach  Sarah Rumely Noble.
Up Next
MSU travels to Mount Pleasant, Michigan to take on Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
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