Spartans Host Northwestern Wednesday

Nov. 17, 2015

Michigan State vs. Northwestern, at Rutgers
Dates	Wednesday, Nov. 18, 6:30 p.m. vs. Northwestern Jenison Field House Saturday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. at Rutgers; College Avenue Gym, Piscataway, NJ.
Tickets	Spartan Ticket Office (Wednesday)
TV/Video Stream	BTN+ vs. Northwestern
Radio	Spartan Sports Network; John Kreger, pxp \| Download the SSN App
Live Statistics	\|
Download Game Notes	Michigan State \| Northwestern \| Rutgers
Social Media	@MichStVB \| Facebook
Promotions	Wednesday Free admission at women's basketball with volleyball ticket stub Free admission to volleyball by presenting women's basketball ticket vs. Georgia

SERIES NOTES

• Michigan State enters the final two weeks of Big Ten play with another split home/road week, hosting Northwestern on Wednesday at 6:30 pm and traveling to New Jersey to take on Rutgers on Saturday in a 7 pm start.

• Spartan fans can take advantage of a great opportunity to see two teams in action on Wednesday. Volleyball hosts Northwestern at 6:30 pm at Jenison Field House, while the women's basketball team takes on Georgia at the Breslin Center at 7:30 p.m. Ticketholders for either event can also gain admission to the other game for FREE by presenting their tickets at the door.

• Northwestern has lost four straight since a 3-1 win over MSU on Halloween - which is the Wildcats' lone win in their last eight outings. NU holds a 13-14 overall record and is 5-11 in Conference play, one spot behind the Spartans.

• Michigan State fell to Northwestern in the first meeting this season of the teams, 3-1 (25-18, 15-25, 20-25, 21-25). MSU faltered after a fast start, dropping three consecutive sets to the Wildcats on their home floor and allowing NU to snap a three-game skid. MSU had three players with double-digit kills (Chloe Reinig -14, Brooke Kranda-12, Holly Toliver-11), and Alyssa Garvelink added a season-best nine blocks and added eight kills. Symone Abbott paced the Wildcats with 17 terminations, while Gabrielle Hazen had eight blocks (five solo) and added nine kills.

• MSU is 4-0 all-time against Rutgers, with two of those meetings coming in 2014, the Scarlet Knights' first season as a member of the Big Ten. The Spartans have won all four matches by 3-0 scores. The Scarlet Knights have dropped their last seven matches overall since earning their first-ever Big Ten win with a 3-1 decision over Maryland in College Park on Oct. 24.

• Michigan State posted an efficient, convincing 3-0 victory over visiting Rutgers in the Oct. 17 match between the squads (25-15, 25-16, 25-11) as MSU hit a season-best .425. All 14 eligible Spartan players saw court time on the evening, and MSU was paced by setter Rachel Minarick, who's sixth double-double of the season was sweetened by four blocks and three kills. Alyssa Garvelink hit .647 (still the second-best performance in the Big Ten this season) on a match-best 12 kills. Meme Fletcher led the Scarlet Knights with 10 kills and five digs.

TEAM NOTES

• The Spartans are coming off a frustrating week with a five-set loss to No. 8 Nebraska at home and a four-setter at Indiana. Playing in front of its home crowd for the first time since Oct. 24, Michigan State battled the Huskers to the absolute wire, but came out on the short end of a 3-2 decision, (19-25, 29-27, 25-23, 18-25, 14-16). The match featured 35 tie scores and 13 lead changes. `
On Saturday, MSU and Indiana had 32 tie scores and 13 lead changes in just four sets, with the Hoosiers twice having to win in extra points (24-26, 25-21, 24-26, 20-25) and riding 13 service aces to the 3-1 win, scoring exactly 13 more points than the Spartans in the entirety of the match. MSU had three hitters over .300 with double-digit kills, and out-blocked the Hoosiers 11-8.

• MSU has faced six ranked opponents in its last seven matches, with four of those in the top eight of the AVCA National poll. MSU defeated then-No. 6 Ohio State (3-0), and has fallen to No. 5 Penn State (0-3), No. 21 Illinois (1-3) No. 4 Minnesota (0-3), No. 13 Wisconsin (0-3) and No. 8 Nebraska (2-3)in that stretch.

• MSU concluded the first half of Big Ten play at 6-4, and now at 6-10, sits in a ninth place. MSU was .500 at the halfway mark in 2014 (5-5), 6-4 at the midpoint of the 2013 season, and went 4-6 in 2012 before rallying for a 7-3 second half to finish 11-9.

• MSU played seven of its first 10 Big Ten games at Jenison Field House, and has played five of its six second-half matches on the road. MSU has one road game and one home game in each of the final two weeks of the season.

• MSU has concluded its season meetings with all six "one-plays" on the schedule this season. In the scheduling format employed beginning in 2014, each team plays seven teams twice and six teams just once. The Spartans went 2-4 with wins against Maryland, and No. 6 Ohio State, falling to No. 5 Penn State, No. 21 Illinois, No. 4 Minnesota, and No. 13 Wisconsin.

• MSU stopped receiving votes in the AVCA poll after its losses to Illinois and Northwestern Halloween weekend. MSU was among teams receiving votes the previous eight weeks after starting the season at No. 19 in the survey. Seven Big Ten teams appear in the current top 25, in addition to non-conference opponents Kentucky (19) and North Carolina (22).

• The first RPI rankings of the year were released on Oct. 4, and the Spartans come in at No. 55 in the sixth release. Five teams (No. 1 Minnesota, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 10 Ohio State) populate the top 10 overall. Illinois (22) Purdue (33), Michigan (37), Northwestern (39), and MSU (55) give the Big Ten 10 of the top 55 teams.
In addition to the 10 B1G schools, two MSU non-conference opponents are in the RPI top 50: Kentucky (15) and North Carolina (23). In the next RPI grouping, Iowa (62), Indiana (91), and Duke (93) also appear.

• In the latest NCAA rankings, the Spartans come in at eighth in average attendance, welcoming 2,815 fans per match at Jenison Field House. With 11 matches at home so far this season, MSU ranks 12th in total attendance (28,148). MSU has just 13 home matches in 2015, the fewest since the 2009 season.

• Four of MSU's last nine sets have gone to extra points, including the second and fifth sets vs. Nebraska. MSU has won just four of the 11 sets that have gone over 25 points this season, and lost the fifth set vs. Nebraska 16-14.

• MSU is now to 1-3 in five-set matches this season, with all three losses to ranked teams: No. 18 Kentucky, No. 23 Michigan, and No. 8 Nebraska.

• IU had 13 service aces, the most for any Spartan opponent this season. The previous high was eight, set by Nebraska in each of the two meetings with the Huskers.

• The Spartans set a season best while holding a 15-12 edge over Nebraska in blocks. MSU's previous season-best total was 14, against Kentucky and Virginia Tech. MSU also out-blocked Indiana by a 11-8 margin. MSU was out-blocked in each of its previous six matches (42-69) after being out-blocked just twice in its first eight B1G contests. MSU is seventh in the B1G in blocks per set (2.47).

• The Spartans had four solo blocks against Indiana, its most since posting six vs. Rutgers (Oct. 17).

• MSU has opened with a first-set victory in 18 of its 27 matches, and is 14-4 in those contests. The four losses when winning the first set have all come in Big Ten play, to No. 20 Purdue, No. 23 Michigan, No. 4 Nebraska, and Northwestern. The eight times MSU has lost the first set, it resulted in a Spartan match loss.

PLAYER NOTES
• MSU is spreading out its offense, with five starters averaging between 2.23 and 3.11 kills per set. Brooke Kranda maintains the team lead at 3.11, followed by Chloe Reinig (2.86), Holly Toliver (2.43), Allyssah Fitterer (2.38), and Alyssa Garvelink (2.23),.

• Chloe Reinig has had double-digit kill efforts in five of her last six matches, which included her hitting a season-best 382 with 16 kills at Indiana. She added four blocks, which included two solos, which also met her season best. Reinig's 16 kills was her most since posting 18 vs. Butler on Sept. 4, her season best.

• Reinig also added 13 kills and five blocks against Nebraska on Wednesday, tying her season high for block assists (four) for the fourth time. On the year, Reinig averages 2.86 kills and 0.64 blocks per set.

• Holly Toliver established new career bests in kills (17) and attempts (45), while tying her season bests in blocks (onesolo, two assists) at Indiana. it was her third time this season posting double-digit kills in both games on a week, as she had 13 kills in the Wednesday match vs. Nebraska.

• Toliver is contributing 2.43 kills and 1.29 digs per set. In Big Ten play only, she averages 2.54 kills and 1.45 digs per frame, and has posted 11 service aces. • Allyssah Fitterer had double-digit kills in back-to-back matches for the first time since the second week of the season vs. Butler (10) and Virginia Tech (11). She posted 11 Wednesday vs. Nebraska and added 13 Saturday vs. Indiana. Fitterer hit a match-high .391 vs. the Hoosiers (13-4-23), with two digs and a block.

• Fitterer also had a strong match against the Cornhuskers on Wednesday, where she had double-digit kills (11) for the first time since posting 13 in the match vs. Maryland (Oct. 14). Her eight blocks tied her season high, also set vs. Maryland.

• Fitterer leads the Spartans in hitting percentage (.293), averaging 2.38 kills, 0.74 digs and 0.79 blocks per set.

• Alyssa Garvelink had six blocks and four kills against Nebraska, and added three with a pair of kills vs. the Hoosiers on Saturday.

• Garvelink ranks 14th in the Big Ten in blocks per set (1.09), and averages 1.10 in Big Ten matches only, where she also ranks 14th. She also averages 2.23 kills per set overall, and 1.86 in Big Ten matches. Garvelink's five solo blocks against Michigan (Sept. 30) is tied for the most in the Big Ten for any player in the Conference this season.

• Autumn Christenson came off the bench and was a bright spot for the Spartans against both Wisconsin and Nebraska. Christenson, who missed a significant part of the season with injury, posted a four kills and added three blocks against the Badgers, hitting .250. Agaist Nebraska, Christenson hit .250 and had six kills and a block before leaving the match with injury. She's expected back in matches this week.

• Rachel Minarick, who has alternated between running a 6-2 and 5-1 this season, is averaging 8.77 assists per set, which is 11th in the Big Ten overall and 8.62 A/s is 13th in conference matches only. She is also averaging 0.53 blocks, 2.22 digs, and 1.00 kills per set on the season, while hitting .241.

• Minarick posted the 11th triple-double in MSU history against North Carolina. In her triple-double she posted career-bests in kills (11) and aces (4), while recording 25 assists and 10 digs and also contributing two blocks. MSU's last triple-double was by setter Allison Ianni, who did it in the 2006 season opener vs. IPFW (55 assists, 11 kills, 10 digs.) Minarick is the lone player in the Big Ten with a triple-double this season. She has twice earned Big Ten Setter of the Week honors in 2015.

• Minarick is just the eighth athlete in Big Ten history to earn the Setter of the Week honors more than once in a single season. Micha Hancock of Penn State won it six times in the 2012 season as a sophomore, and five times each in her junior and senior seasons. The Setter of the Week honor was added to the weekly awards lineup in advance of the 2012 season.

• Halle Peterson, who has been in and out of the lineup this season with nagging injury, posted 15 assists and seven digs vs. Nebraska on Wednesday, and added 12 assists and three digs at Indiana. It was her first back-to-back double-digit assist performances since the games vs. Michigan on Sept. 30 and Oct. 3.

• Megan Tompkins had six and five blocks, respectively, in the matches vs. Nebraska and Indiana last week, adding nine kills on a season-best 20 swings, three digs, and an assist vs. the Cornhuskers, hitting.350. She added three kills vs. the Hoosiers as well.

• Brooke Kranda continues to lead MSU with 3.11 kills per set - which is 15th in the Big Ten.

• MSU made a change at libero after the match at Illinois. It is the second change this season - Kristen Muir started there in the first six matches of the season, and Abby Monson wore the alternate-colored jersey for the next 17 matches before Muir has returned to wearing it over the last five contests.

• Muir has posted five double-digit dig efforts in the last seven matches and nine times in MSU's 16 Big Ten contests. She had 23 digs vs. Nebraska, her high in a Big Ten match and three short of her career-best 26 set in the season opener vs. Kentucky. Muir then added 18 in the match vs. Indiana.

• Muir ranks 15th in the Big Ten with 3.10 digs per set, while Monson is averaging 3.30, which is 13th. MSU is the only school with two players among the top 15 in the B1G in digs.

• Monson's 3.28 digs per set in Big Ten play ranks 12th among Conference players. In her 17 matches playing the libero position, she was held without double-digit digs just once - in the Oct. 17 match vs. Rutgers, where she had nine.

• Monson had 17 digs vs. Nebraska, one shy of her best total in a Big Ten match this season. She also had 11 digs in the match at Indiana.

• Megan Tompkins was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 14, and Abby Monson earned the same honor on Sept. 21. This gives MSU four different players a Conference weekly honor in the same season for the first time since 1999, when Jessica Sanborn, Erin Hartley, Angela Morley, and Vicki Basil had all earned Player of the Week honors. The only other time it happened in school history was in 1995 -- when Player of the Week honors were earned by Dana Cooke, Veronica Morales, Val Sterk,(twice) and Jenna Wrobel.

• Tompkins was the Defensive Player of the Week after the Holly Young Invitational at New Hampshire, in which she compiled her career best nine blocks vs. Delaware (Sept. 12). That's tied for the third-most blocks in a single match in the Big Ten this season (along with Garvelink). On the year, Tompkins is second among Spartans and 13th in the Big Ten with 1.09 blocks per set.

• Five weekly Player of the Week awards have been won by this current Spartan team, which has only been accomplished by the 1995 team as well -- Val Sterk was the Player of the Week twice in addition to Cooke, Morales, and Wrobel each winning once. Minarick is the two-time winner of the 2015 squad.

• The season of junior transfer and two-time All-American Autumn Bailey came to an end before it really even got started. Bailey suffered a leg injury against Kentucky in the season opener on Aug. 28, and will miss the remainder of the year. She will be eligible to petition for a medical hardship waiver to have two more years to play in East Lansing. Bailey had a double-double in the Green & White exhibition match, and also had a double-double (11k, 12d) vs. Kentucky before leaving the match with injury.

• The Spartans play at Purdue the night before Thanksgiving, and then return to Jenison Field House next Saturday to host Iowa in the Big Ten finale. MSU's three seniors - Maggie Halloran, Kristen Muir, and Halle Peterson - will all be honored in a post-match ceremony. The match vs. the Hawkeyes is set for 8 pm, and football fans can gain free admission for volleyball by showing their ticket stub from the MSU-PSU match earlier in the day.