Volleyball Hosts No. 1 Penn State and Indiana

Nov. 6, 2008

Volleyball Coverage
• Cathy
• Heather
• Mischelle

Live Audio/Video vs. Penn State |Live Audio/Video vs. Indiana

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The 2008 Michigan State volleyball squad (12-11, 4-8 Big Ten) will continue Big Ten play this weekend as it plays host to No. 1 Penn State and Indiana at Jenison Field House. The Spartans will clash with Penn State on Friday and Indiana on Saturday. Both matches are slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. MSU dropped matches to both Indiana and Penn State on the road earlier this season.

Saturday's match against Indiana will mark the end of a silent auction that will benefit the MSU Pediatric and Adolescent Hematology/Oncology Clinic, the clinic that has played a critical role in the treatment of Adalin Farnum, the daughter of women's soccer associate head coach TammyThe Spartans will look to continue their success at home this season. Thus far, the Spartans have compiled a 7-3 record at home. Last weekend, the Spartans had one of their finest efforts of the season at Wisconsin. Anchored by the play of the back row, the Spartans were able to pull off a five-set win over the Badgers, marking the first time in program history that MSU has won in back-to-back seasons at Wisconsin. MSU is the first team to beat Wisconsin in Madison on Halloween, ending an 11-year streak in which they topped three top-five opponents and five top-25 foes.

The Spartan defense shined in the match, totaling 84 digs, tying the program's all-time mark, set back in 1990 against Iowa. Three Spartans - Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.), Carli Weiler (Oak Lawn, Ill.) and Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) - tallied over 15 digs with Karaba leading the way with 23. Weiler and Zlabis each pitched in 16 digs apiece. Freshman Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.) and senior Heather McDaniel (Madison Heights, Mich.) each added nine.

The Spartan offense has also come to life since freshman Kyndra Abron (Livonia, Mich.) made the switch to the left side. Since the switch two weeks ago, Abron has totaled 50 kills in the last four matches, moving her into third-place on the team with 179. Of her 179 kills, 124 have come since the start of Big Ten play, which ranks her second on the team behind Vanessa King (Spring Lake, Mich.). Her 20 kills at Wisconsin were a career-best and marked the sixth time that a Spartan has eclipsed the 20-kill mark this season.

Junior middle blocker Mischelle Nelson (Naperville, Ill.) will also look to build on a strong weekend. Nelson accounted for 21.5 points last weekend in two matches. Her 12.5 total points against Wisconsin were a season-best. During the weekend, Nelson tallied three solo blocks, nine block assists, 12 kills and two aces. She also hit .295 in the two matches to lead the team.

The Nittany Lions come into the match as the nation's No. 1 team; an unanimous choice since the third week of the season. At 25-0, the Lions have not lost a set this season, and are riding 51-match winning-streak in which they have dropped only eight sets. They lead the Big Ten in nearly every statistical category, including hitting percentage, blocks, kills, assists and opponents hitting percentage. Penn State earned wins over Iowa and Minnesota in Happy Valley last weekend and topped Indiana, 3-0, on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions' win over Iowa on Saturday marked the 1,000th win in program history. Four of the top five most efficient hitters in the Big Ten play for Penn State, highlighted by Christa Harmatto, who is hitting .526.

The Hoosiers come into the Saturday's contest with the Spartans at 14-11 and 6-7 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers are led by outside hitter Erica Short, who has 441 kills on the season, averaging 4.79 per set. Middle hitter Ashley Benson is second on the team with 290 kills and was the Big Ten Player of the Week last week. The Hoosiers have won five of their last seven matches, but lost to Penn State on Wednesday.

Live audio/video with John Kreger will be provided at www.msuspartans.com along with live stats.