Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Volleyball Closes Out Regular Season At Iowa
11/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 23, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
The Michigan State volleyball team concludes regular-season play on the road at Iowa on Friday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Spartans most recently completed the season sweep over Michigan with a 3-0 victory at Jenison Field House on Wednesday. The Spartan victory marked the first time since the 1998 campaign that MSU won the season series with the Wolverines. Michigan State holds a 29-22 lead in the all-time series against Iowa, and has won four consecutive contests between the two schools.
Michigan Recap
The Michigan State volleyball team swept the season series against Michigan for the first time since 1998 with a 3-0 victory in Big Ten play on Wednesday night at Jenison Field House. State won by scores of 30-27, 30-18, and 30-22. MSU tallied 59 kills and a .344 attack percentage against just 37 kills and a .149 effort by the Wolverine offense. Senior setter Allison Ianni played her final regular-season home match, directing the Spartan offense with two kills and 45 assists in the victory. Ashley Schatzle tallied a match-best 22 kills on 45 attempts (.378), while Katie Johnson and Vanessa King contributed 14 and 12, respectively, for MSU. Libero Nicole Colaluca also competed in her final regular-season home match as a Spartan, posting a floor-high 18 digs in the backcourt, leading MSU to 57 digs compared to 46 by the Michigan defense.
NCAA Selection Show on Sunday
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship selection show airs Sunday (Nov. 26) on ESPNews between 3-4 p.m.
This Season Against Iowa
A trio of Spartans tallied double-digit kill totals, led by outside hitters Katie Johnson and Ashley Schatzle with 15 each, while middle blocker Jessica Hohl contributed 12 when MSU swept Iowa earlier this season (30-21, 30-20, 30-25). Setter Allison Ianni added nine kills, four digs, and spread out 48 assists. State dominated every statistical category except total blocks, where Iowa held the edge with 24 block assists (12.0 total), compared to two block solos and 12 block assists (8.0 total) by the Spartan defenders.
Sights On The NCAA Tournament
As the Spartans surpass the 15-win plateau, sights on the NCAA tournament become much more focused. Twice the Big Ten conference has sent eight teams to the tournament (1999, 2002), and has sent a total of six teams on six different occassions (1994, 97, 98, 2000, 01, 05). Michigan State made 10 consecutive NCAA appearances from 1994-2003, including trips to the National semifinals in 1995 and regional semifinals in 2002.
Two To Go
Entering the final two contests of the 2006 regular season, Michigan State finds itself thick in the NCAA tournament hunt. The Spartans can't finish lower than tied for sixth place in the Big Ten, and if history repeats itself, the high reputation of the conference allows for at least six teams to advance. State defeated both of its final two opponents - Michigan and Iowa - by 3-0 sweeps earlier this season.
Conference Trend
Michigan State holds a 9-10 record in Big Ten play entering Friday's contest with Iowa and it's interesting to note the win/loss comparison. State has won both contests of a weekend conference series three times in 2006, lost both in a weekend series four times, and have split a weekend just twice this year. MSU has not lost more than two consecutive matches throughout the 2006 campaign.
2006 Iowa Series
• State swept Iowa in the first meeting between the two schools this season (30-21, 30-20, 30-25).
Game 1
East Lansing, Mich. • Oct. 14, 2006 • MSU, 3-0
Despite a season-high 17 service errors in the match, the Spartans posted a .357 team attack percentage and tallied 60 kills against just 26 by the Hawkeye offense in a victory at Jenison Field House earlier this year. A trio of Spartans tallied double-digit kill totals, led by outside hitters Katie Johnson and Ashley Schatzle with 15 each, while middle blocker Jessica Hohl contributed 12 for the Green and White. Setter Allison Ianni added nine kills, four digs, and spread out 48 assists.
• The Series: State tallied its fourth straight win versus the Hawkeyes in mid-October and holds a 29-22 edge in the all-time series between the two schools.
