Michigan State University Athletics
MSU-Illinois Volleyball Match To Air On FOX Sports
11/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 15, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Big Ten Conference officials announced today that the November 24 volleyball match featuring Illinois at Michigan State will be televised as the League's 'wildcard' tape-delay broadcast on Fox Sports Chicago. The contest will be aired on Sunday, November 25 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Dave Loane and Terri Zemaitis Boumans will provide the play-by-play and commentary. The match will be the final volleyball contest aired this season under the Big Ten's agreement with the Fox Sports Chicago network.
Last year's wildcard broadcast evolved into a five-game duel between Minnesota and Ohio State, which were ranked 7th and 17th at the time, respectively. By outlasting the Gophers, 18-16, in the final stanza, the Buckeyes knocked Minnesota out of a tie for the Big Ten Championship on the final day of Conference play.
Michigan State (16-7, 9-7 Big Ten) is currently just one place behind Illinois in the Big Ten standings and has won five of its last six matches. The Spartans have been tough at home this season, posting a 12-3 record in the confines of Jenison Field House. Junior Emily Engel is among the national leaders with 60 aces on the year, while sophomore setter Nikki Colson is third in the Big Ten with 12.82 assists per game.
Illinois (18-7, 11-6 Big Ten) is currently one of the hottest teams in the League, having won 10 of its last 12 matches, including two contests against then-No. 21 Minnesota and a tilt against then-No. 13 Penn State. The Fighting Illini stand in fourth place in the Big Ten and are ranked No. 21 in the AVCA/USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll. Illinois swept Purdue, 3-0, in West Lafayette in a Fox Sports Chicago match on October 19. On Wednesday, November 14, Head Coach Don Hardin recorded his 100th victory as the coach of the Illini when his squad defeated Indiana, 3-1.
As the end of the regular season draws near, both Illinois and Michigan State are vying for invitations to the NCAA Championship. Michigan State has been a regular in the tournament, earning berths in each of the last seven years. The Illini appeared in the postseason in 1998 and 1999, but missed out last year after a rash of injuries handicapped the squad in the regular season.
The match will be the third consecutive Spartan volleyball match to recieve national or regional television coverage. Both of this weekend's contests will be televised, including Friday's match at Ohio State which will air on espn2 Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, and Saturday's contest at Penn State which will be televised on FOX Sports Chicago Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
