Spartans Head West for NCAA Tournament
12/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
| 2014 NCAA TOURNAMENT: First/Second Rounds at Stanford Michigan State vs Loyola-Marymount | |
| Tournament Information | Tournament Central |
| 2014 NCAA Bracket | Click Here |
| Dates | Fri., Dec. 5, 7:30 pm ET / Sat. Dec. 6, 10 pm ET Palo Alto, Calif. Maples Pavilion |
| TV/Video Stream | Pac12 Network Webstream (Friday) |
| Radio | none |
| Live Statistics | |
| Download Game Notes | Michigan State | LMU | CSUB | Stanford |
| Previews | Video Preview |
| Social Media | @MichStVB  | Facebook  |
TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Michigan State has earned an at-large bid to the 2015 NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament, and will play Loyola-Marymount in the first round on Friday, Dec 5 at Stanford.
• The Spartans are making their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and bring a five-game winning streak to Palo Alto this weekend. The Spartans finished the regular season with a 18-13 overall record, and were 11-9 in the Big Ten Conference.
• Loyola Marymount went 23-7 on the season, and compiled an 11-7 record in the West Coast Conference, falling to Pacific (3-2) and No. 12 BYU (3-1) in its last two matches. The Lions are receiving votes in this week's AVCA poll. CSU-Bakersfield, champions of the Western Athletic Conference, will take on host Stanford, the overall No. 1 seed in the field with a 29-1 record. Friday's winners meet Saturday (10 p.m. ET) for the right to advance to the NCAA regional in Ames, Iowa the following weekend.
• The Big Ten sent six teams into the 64-team field, the second-most of any conference behind the 10 representatives of the Pac-12. In addition to its five Big Ten opponents, seven of MSU's 11 non-conference opponents were selected into the field: Duke, North Carolina, Oregon, Oregon State, LIU-Brooklyn, Western Kentucky, and Samford. In the most recent ranking, MSU's strength of schedule ranked 12th in the country.
• A live webstream of the MSU-LMU match will be available at the Pac-12 Networks Website. Should both MSU and Stanford advance to play on Saturday, the match will air live on the Pac-12 Network.
TEAM NOTES
• MSU is making its 17th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, and earned its fourth consecutive at-large bid to the Championship, the second-longest streak in school history. MSU made it to the second round in 2011, and advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the last two seasons.
• MSU made ten consecutive NCAA Tournament fields from 1994-2003, and is making its seventh appearance in the ten-year tenure of current coach Cathy George.
• MSU's streak of four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances is the third-longest in the Big Ten, behind Penn State and Nebraska.
• This will be sixth year (and seventh trip) that MSU will have NCAA Tournament games in the State of California. MSU has played NCAA matches in Malibu (1999), Los Angeles (2000, 2006, 2012), Santa Barbara (2002), and Berkley (2012 regionals). This will be MSU's first trip to Palo Alto in program history.
• MSU enters the NCAA Tournament on a five-match winning streak, the third-longest active winning streak in the Big Ten (behind Wisconsin and Penn State). MSU has won 15 of its 16 sets during the streak, with its lone set loss coming on the road in a 3-1 win over Northwestern.
• MSU's Nov. 22 victory over Rutgers was the 550th in the career of head coach Cathy George, who is in her 10th season at Michigan State. In her four head coaching stops, George has won more than 85 games at each one, including 187 as the head coach of the Spartans.
• In the five-match winning streak, MSU established new school records for fewest points allowed in a three-set match (34, vs. Indiana Nov. 15) and four-set match (64 vs. Northwestern, Nov. 19).
• Against Indiana (Nov. 15), MSU hit a season-best .481 on the night, while holding the Hoosiers to a -.075 hitting percentage. MSU allowed eight points to the Hoosiers in the second set, the fewest number of points MSU has allowed to a Big Ten opponent in a set since the collegiate game went to the 25-point scoring system in 2009.
• MSU finished in seventh place in the Conference standings with a 11-9 record, but owns just two losses to a team which sits below the team in the standings (vs. Minnesota, at Michigan).
• Only four Big Ten schools have finished .500 or better in Conference play in each of the last four seasons: Penn State, Nebraska, Purdue, and Michigan State.
• MSU's victory over Indiana (Nov. 15) was the 750th in program history. This is the 42nd season of varsity volleyball at Michigan State.
• MSU averages 2.70 blocks per set, good for fourth in the Big Ten and 25th nationally. MSU is behind B1G leader Minnesota (2.95/set), Nebraska (2.92), and Illinois (2.73). Overall, MSU's 299.5 team blocks is fourth in the Conference and 34th among Division I institutions. In MSU's single-season record book, the 475 block assists is the 12th-highest total in school history, and the 2.70 blocks per set average ranks ninth - and higher than MSU's 2.58 per set in 2013.
• MSU has had double-digit blocks in 12 of 20 Big Ten contests, and in 17 of 31 matches overall. The Spartans posted a season-best 15 blocks against Duke in the second week of the season, and their B1G best was 14.5 blocks in its first meeting with the Hoosiers on Sept. 26. MSU has put up double-digit blocking totals in seven of its last 10 matches, including 12 at Iowa last Friday.
• MSU's season-best .481 hitting percentage against Indiana on Nov. 12 was eye-popping, committing just five attacking errors in 77 chances, a season low and just the second time this season MSU has had less than 10 attacking errors. MSU has hit .248 or better in seven of its last nine matches.
• MSU hit .330 in its loss to No. 4 Wisconsin (Nov. 7), the first team to hit .300 or better against the Badgers this season. MSU's previous high in a loss was .247 at Penn State, with just 13 attacking errors (36-13-92). MSU has hit lower than .247 in four of its 18 victories this season.
• The Spartans have limited opponents to a .163 hitting percentage, which is second the Big Ten and ranks 34th nationally. In its five-match winning streak, the Spartans have limited opponents to hitting .092.
• This season, MSU has won the first set in 22 of 31 matches, and is 18-4 when winning the first set.
• The Spartans went 7-4 in non-conference action, but also played the perhaps the toughest pre-Conference schedule in Cathy George's tenure. In all, eight of MSU's 11 non-conference opponents won 18 games or more in 2013, and combined for a 63.1% winning percentage.
• MSU's final seven non-conference opponents (UNC, Duke, Oregon, Oregon State, Western Kentucky, LIU-Brooklyn, and Milwaukee) went a combined 61-21 (.743) in the non-conference portion the season. Three of those teams (No. 20 North Carolina, No. 19 Duke, and No. 18 Oregon) were in the top 25 when they played MSU, and two others (Oregon State and Western Kentucky) were receiving votes.
• MSU played the 12th-toughest schedule in the country, which is also fourth in the B1G behind Nebraska, Illinois, and Michigan.
• Michigan State's strong schedule was an effort to acclimate a young team to the rigors of Big Ten play. The Spartans have a seven-member freshman class, and have 12 freshmen and sophomores on an 18-player roster. MSU regularly has five freshmen or sophomores (and a senior libero) on the floor.
• The Spartans rank 10th nationally in average attendance, (2,928), as 43,918 fans have taken in a volleyball match at Jenison Field House this season, the tenthhighest total among Division I programs. MSU has now shattered its home attendance record two seasons in a row - in 2013, MSU had 43,368 fans over 15 home matches. MSU brought nearly 10,000 more fans to Jenison Field House in 2013 than it had in 2012 (33,717) .
PLAYER NOTES
• The Big Ten announced its All-Big Ten teams on Tuesday. Sophomore Chloe Reinig earned All-Big Ten honors, while senior libero Kori Moster was an honorable mention selection. Freshman Rachel Minarick was named to the All-Freshman team. Jazmine White was the team's Sportsmanship Award honoree. Reinig was on the All-Freshman team a year ago, and her selection gives MSU a First Team selection for the seventh straight season. Moster is an honorable mention pick for the third straight year, and Minarick gives MSU an All-Freshman team pick for the third straight season.
• Freshman Alyssa Garvelink earned her second consecutive Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, as announced by the Conference office on Monday afternoon. Garvelink averaged two blocks, 3.17 kills, and .64 digs in a perfect 2-0 final week of the regular season, as MSU swept both No. 19 Purdue at home and Iowa on the road.
• Garvelink was also the Freshman of the Week on Nov. 24. Her career- high 11 blocks at Northwestern included four solo stuffs, which is third all-time at MSU in a four-set match. She just missed a double-double with nine kills, hitting .450 (9-0-20), adding an assist and a dig. At home against Rutgers on Saturday, Garvelink tied her career high with 12 kills (which she did earlier in the season against Michigan), hitting a scorching .667 on 15 swings. She added one block and a service ace.
• Over MSU's five-match winning streak, Garvelink is averaging 2.81 kills and 1.94 blocks per set, hitting .359. She had a season-best eight block assists at Iowa, and shared the team lead with 10 kills in a win over Purdue.
• During the winning streak, five players are averaging 0.81 blocks per set or better: Garvelink (1.94), White (1.12), Minarick (0.94), Fitterer (0.88) and Reinig (0.81). MSU is averaging 3.19 blocks per set in that span.
• On the season, Garvelink is hitting .208, averaging 2.04 kills and 1.06 blocks per set. Her blocks rank 13th overall in the Big Ten, as does her 1.14 blocks per set in Big Ten Conference games only. Her 113 total blocks ranks fifth all-time by a freshman in school history, while her 101 block assists is also fifth and her 1.06 blocks per set average ranks seventh.
• Moster averages 4.60 digs per set, which ranks third in the Big Ten overall and her 4.66 in B1G matches ranks fourth.
• Moster surpassed the 2,000 digs mark in the first set against Penn State (Oct. 25), and her current total of 2,179 career digs ranks fifth all-time in the Big Ten annals, and is seventh among active Division I players. With 41 more digs, she could move as high as second, as Illinois' Jennifer Beltran holds that spot with 2,220, followed by Northwestern's Kate Nobilio (2,194) and Wisconsin's Jocelyn Wack (2,182).
• Moster has held the school's career digs record since her junior season, and holds four of the top eight single-season dig performances in school history. Her 511 digs this season is sixth among single-season MSU marks - her career-best season of 602 came as a sophomore (second), and she posted 592 as a junior (third) and 474 as a freshman (eighth).
• Moster ranks sixth among active Division I players in career matches played (135), and 12th in sets played (487).
• Moster has posted double-digit digs in 28 of the 31 Spartan matches this season. In 135 career matches, Moster has been held with less than 10 digs only 18 times; six of those occasions were her first six collegiate matches - the most recent came at Rutgers on Oct. 18, (9).
• Moster is one of the 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. She was also an Academic All-America nominee, boasting a 3.65 GPA as an advertising major. Fans can vote daily at http://www.seniorclassaward.com/vote/
• Both Moster and Allyssah Fitterer have set career bests in NCAA Tournament matches. Moster has recorded 29 digs four times, which she first did in the 2012 first round against San Diego (and matched most recently this season against Illinois). Fitterer established her career-best of 18 kills in last year's Sweet 16 matchup with Penn State, which helped earn her a spot on the Lexington Regional All-Tournament Team.
• Chloe Reinig has averaged double-digit kills since Big Ten play began, and has just eight matches overall this season where she was held with nine kills or fewer. She ranks sixth overall in the Big Ten with 3.66 kills/s, and in B1G play alone, her 3.94 is second the Conference.
• Reinig has gone for 20+ kills four times this season, including in back-to-back matches vs. Michigan. She has her first two career double-doubles against Illinois (16K/10D) and Minnesota (13K, 10D).
• Reinig ranks fifth overall in points per match (4.09/s). In conference games only, she is averaging 4.37 points, good for third in the Conference.
• Sophomore Alyssa Fitterer has hit .300 or better in 12 of MSU's 20 Big Ten matches, a team best. She has had double-digit kills in 18 of MSU's 31 matches, second only to Reinig's 21.
• Fitterer is hitting .295 in Big Ten matches only, good for 13th in the rankings In conference matches, she averages 2.48 kills and 0.96 blocks per set.
• Senior Jazmine White is averaging 1.20 blocks per set overall (good for ninth in the Conference and 71st nationally ) and 1.21 in B1G games, (eighth). She had a combined seven blocks against Purdue and Iowa.
• Rachel Minarick was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday, Oct. 20, her first such honor of the season. She earned the kudos with 11 assists per set in two matches against Maryland and Rutgers, helping the Spartans to their first B1G weekend sweep of the season.
• Minarick ranks fifth in the Big Ten overall in assists per set (10.07), and is the top freshman in that category. She is fifth in B1G play as well (10.41/s). Minarick had a combined 66 assists against Purdue and Iowa, while averaging 1.3 kills, hitting .500 (8-0-16), as well as 1.2 digs and 1.3 blocks per set.
• Taylor Galloway had her 10th career double-double and third of the season with a 10-kill, 17-dig effort at Northwestern. In the five-match winning streak, Galloway is averaging 1.94 kills and 2.56 digs per set.
• Moster and White are the team captains for the 2014 season. Moster is the third three-time captain in program history, along with Nikki Colson (2001-03) and Katie Johnson (2005-07).
• The season of freshman Holly Toliver was over before it really got started. She played in the first two weekends of the season before being sidelined with a leg injury, and while she attempted to come back to action, further tests have ruled her out for the remainder of the season. Over her first six matches, she was averaging 2.75 kills and 0.45 blocks per set.
• Junior setter Halle Peterson was injured in the Oregon match (Sept. 19), and made her return to the court against Rutgers (Nov. 22) for the first time since.
• MSU `s freshman class (Alyssa Garvelink, Rachel Minarick, Abby Monson, and Holly Toliver) was ranked No. 6 in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. Minarick, a two-time AVCA All-American, is the No. 21 Senior Ace by PrepVolleyball.com and last summer was the MVP at club nationals where she led Sports Performance to a National Championship. Minarick (No. 22), Garvelink (No. 26), and Toliver (No. 31) appeared in the rankings by PrepVolleyball.com of the nation's top seniors, while Monson was an Honorable Mention.
