Spartans Host Big Ten Foes Northwestern, Illinois

Nov. 3, 2016

Spartans vs.Northwestern, Illinois
Dates/Times	Friday-Saturday, Nov. 4-5, 2016
Location	East Lansing, Mich.; Jenison Field House
Tickets	Purchase MSU Tickets Ticket Packages: Family Four Pack (Friday Only) \| Four Seats, Four Treats (Saturday Only)
Live Statistics	\|
Live Video Streams	vs. Northwestern \| vs. Illinois
Radio Broadcast	Spartan Sports Network Keaton Gillogly, pxp Download the SSN App
Download Game Notes	Michigan State \| Northwestern \| Illinois
Promotions	SATURDAY: Senior Class post-game autographs
Social Media	@MichStVB \| MichiganStateVB @MichStVB

MATCH NOTES

• No. 16 Michigan State opens a four-match homestand with games vs. Northwestern (Friday) and Illinois (Saturday).

• Both matches will be streamed online on the BTN+ on BTN2Go platform. Both matches will also have a radio broadcast via SpartanSportsNetwork.com with Keaton Gillogly on the call.

TEAM NOTES

• MSU's 19-5 record through 24 matches is MSU's best since the 1998 team sat at 20-4 at this point of the season.

• The Spartans have an opportunity to secure their 20th victory of the season at home this weekend. This would be the earliest in the Cathy George era that a team reached 20 victories. The earliest a team reached 20 victories in the Big Ten era was in 1995, when MSU won it's 20th match at Ohio State on Oct. 20. In the pre-Big Ten era, MSU secured its 20th win on Oct. 11 vs. Eastern Kentucky - but for those teams, it was customary to play four or five matches in a weekend day.

• A 20-victory season in 2016 would be the fifth under current head coach Cathy George, who is now in her 12th season. MSU had seven 20-victory seasons under Chuck Erbe, and six combined among the first three MSU coaches.

• This will be the first (and only) meeting this year with Northwestern. The Spartans split two meetings with the Wildcats last season, as each team won in its home gym.

• MSU and Illinois met earlier this year in Champaign, with the Illini taking a 3-0 victory (Oct. 12). Illinois has won four straight matches in the series.

• The Spartans are coming off a pair of wins on the road last weekend, sweeping Indiana Friday before rallying from a 1-0 deficit to down Purdue in West Lafayette, 3-1. The Spartans are now 5-3 in road matches this season, with four road games remaining in Big Ten play (at Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa).

• The Spartans' strength of schedule sits at No. 12 this week, which ranks seventh among Big Ten teams (measured based on the teams already played.) Taking in all past and future opposition, MSU's schedule ranks ninth nationally.

• Despite a pair of road wins last week, Michigan State fell one spot to No. 16 in the American Volleyball Coaches (AVCA) National poll for the week of Oct. 31. Seven Big Ten teams appear in this week's top 25 and three others are receiving votes, including the Conference holding down the top three spots (No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Minnesota, and No.3 Wisconsin). No. 11 Penn State, No. 16 MSU, and No. 17 Michigan gives the Conference six among the top 20, and Ohio State is No. 22. Illinois, Purdue, and Iowa are in the receiving votes category.

• The RPI for Division I volleyball, which is one of the tools used for post-season NCAA Tournament selection and seeding, was initially released on Oct. 3. MSU has moved from No. 19 in the initial release to No. 12, No. 9, to No. 14, and currently sits at No. 12 this week in the fifth release. The Spartans are also one of eight programs from the Big Ten in the RPI top 25 and five in the top 12. In all, 11 Big ten teams and five of MSU's non-conference opponents are in the RPI top 64.

• MSU recorded 13 service aces in its match vs. Purdue last Saturday, bettering their previous high of 11 that it had vs. Morgan State, Maryland-Eastern Shore, and DePaul. Thirteen aces is the fifth-highest total in a Division I match this season.

• The Spartans lead both the nation and the Big Ten in service aces (165) and aces per set (2.04), which would be sixth at MSU all-time in a single season. MSU has six service aces or more in 15 of 24 matches, and five matches with 10+ aces.

• MSU's 165 aces is the most since the 2013 team recorded 184 (the 2012 team had 204). To break into the top 10 for a single-season total, MSU would need 179 or more.

• MSU dropped its only back-to-back matches this season with losses to No. 1 Nebraska (Sept. 24) and No. 16 Penn State (Sept. 30.) MSU's longest winning streak was eight matches, its longest stretch since the 2013 season when the Spartans won 15 straight.

• MSU has limited opponents to a .181 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth among B1G schools. The Spartans limited seven of 12 non-conference opponents to a .115 hitting percentage or lower.

• In MSU's five losses overall on the season, all five opponents hit better than .300 - No. 7 Florida hit .341, No. 1 Nebraska hit .202, No. 16 Penn State .333, No. 24 Illinois .319, and No. 19 Ohio State .347. They are the only occasions this season that an MSU opponent hit .300 or better. The Spartans have held six opponents under a .200 hitting percentage in seven of their Big Ten matches - Iowa, Rutgers (x2), Penn State, Maryland, Indiana, and Purdue.

• On Oct. 15, Minnesota hit .268 in a five-set loss to the Spartans, and limited MSU to hitting .201. It was the first win this season for MSU when its opponent had a better hitting percentage. It's not MSU's lowest hitting percentage in a win, however - MSU hit just .113 in a three-set sweep of Southern Illinois on Sept. 10, but the Salukis had 28 kills and 28 errors in the match (.000).

• On the year, MSU is hitting .259, which would fall eighth all-time in the Spartan record book. MSU's hitting percentage is seventh in the Big Ten and 32nd nationally.

• MSU boasts a balanced attack, with five players averaging between 2.05 and 3.21 kills per set, and defensively has four averaging between 1.92 and 3.09 digs per frame.

• The Spartans rank ninth in the Big Ten with 2.30 blocks per set. MSU has 15 matches with seven team blocks or more, including nine double-digit blocking efforts. MSU established its season high with 15 in the Oct. 15 match vs. Minnesota.

• The Spartans have allowed just three double-digit block performances - No. 3 Minnesota had 10, and No. 1 Nebraska had 13.5 - both in five-set matches - while Purdue had 11 in the four-set affair on Oct. 29

• The Green and White owns 14 three-set victories in 24 matches. Just six times in 24 matches has MSU played more than three sets - the Spartans are 14-4 in three-set matches overall, 3-0 in four-setters, and are 2-1 their five-set affairs. MSU ranks fourth in the Big Ten in overall winning percentage (.792) and 25th among Division I schools.

• MSU is second in the Big Ten in overall wins (19) - only No. 1 Nebraska (20) has more. Western Kentucky (24-2) and Dayton (24-1) lead the nation in victories. MSU's .792 winning percentage is 29th nationally

• Big Ten teams went a combined 122-36 (.772) in non-conference play, the best overall record in the country. The B1G was ahead of the Pac-12 (95-31, .753) and the SEC (108-49, .688).

• The Spartans opened 2016 with a sweep of the competition at the San Diego State Aztec Invitational (Aug. 26-27). This was the eighth time in 12 years under Cathy George that the Spartans started the season 3-0, and the second time in three years.

• MSU's lone loss of the pre-B1G season came to No. 7 Florida in the final match of the Spartan Invitational (Sept. 4.) MSU swept both Morgan State and Central Michigan on day one, but fell to the Gators in straight sets on day two.

• The Spartans outlasted host No. 23 Western Kentucky in a five-set thriller to win the Holiday Inn Invitational (Sept. 9-10). MSU swept both Cincinnati and Southern Illinois before matching up with the host school.

• MSU won its third non-conference tournament of the season by sweeping the Spartan Classic (Sept. 16-17). MSU opened with a victory over Notre Dame on Friday, then posted wins over Maryland-Eastern Shore and DePaul on Saturday.

• The Spartans have won 11 of their last 16 non-conference tournaments over the last six seasons.

• MSU was selected seventh in the Big Ten's pre-season volleyball poll. Defending National Champion Nebraska was the unanimous choice to win the league, followed by Minnesota, Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois, and Ohio State.

• MSU is one of four programs in the Big Ten to finish .500 or better in Big Ten play over the last five seasons. Penn State, Nebraska, and Purdue are the other three.

• The Spartans will host a total of 16 games at Jenison Field House, where the Spartans are routinely a top-10 ranked attendance draw. MSU currently averages 2,800 fans per match at home (sixth nationally) and its total attendance of 33,597 ranks seventh nationally. Last season, MSU was eighth among Division I volleyball teams with an average of 2,872 fans per match, and were 11th nationally with a total of 37,333 fans in 13 home matches. MSU has four home matches remaining: vs. Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue, and the annual Jam Jenison match vs. Michigan, which will also be MSU's senior night.
In Big Ten matches only, the Spartans average 3,571 fans per home match.

• MSU begins a wraps up its regular-season home matches next weekend. On Wednesday, the Spartans will host a rematch with Purdue at 7 pm at Jenison Field House. Saturday's match, MSU's regular-season home finale, will be the annual "Jam Jenison" match vs. Michigan, which will also be MSU's senior night. The Spartans will honor Kristen Brashear, Autumn Christenson, Allyssah Fitterer, and co-captain Chloe Reinig in a post-match ceremony.

PLAYER NOTES

• Brooke Kranda broke a 30-year old school record with nine service aces against Purdue, a new MSU best in a four-set match. It was the second-most service aces in a Big Ten match all-time, and the first time since 1992 (and the fourth time overall) that a player recorded nine aces in a B1G contest. It is also the second-most service aces in a match this season in Division I volleyball.

• The last player to post nine aces in a Big Ten match was Indiana's Jill Kerkhoff, who accomplished the feat vs. MSU on Nov. 12, 1992. The other two instances were both by Spartan players, and in the same match: On Oct. 7, 1983 against Minnesota, Michelle Kasper had nine aces, and Gina Conroy set the Big Ten and MSU record with 10 in a Conference match.

• Kranda is averaging 2.07 kills per set overall, and in 12 Big Ten starts, she is contributing 2.08 kills, 0.57 blocks, and 0.68 aces per set.

• Michigan State has four athletes ranked among the top 15 in the Big Ten in service aces per set: Kranda (0.54, first), Holly Toliver (third, 0.36), Rachel Minarick (T-fourth, 0.35), and Autumn Bailey (12th, 0.29); Kranda is second nationally.

• Chloe Reinig hit .409 and averaged 1.0 blocks per set in helping lead the Spartans to a pair of road victories last weekend. She hit .500 at Indiana, with seven kills on 14 swings without an error. At Purdue, she helped MSU rally from an 0-1 deficit to take a four-set victory - she had a match-best 15 kills and six blocks (one solo), hitting .367, also a match high.

• Reinig is averaging 2.74 kills and 0.82 blocks per set, which is second on the team in both categories.

• Autumn Bailey leads MSU with 3.21 kills per set, which is 10th among Big Ten leaders. She is hitting .220, and owns five double-doubles, her most recent a 11-kill, 11-dig performance on Oct. 15 vs. Minnesota. She has been MSU's top kill producer in 12 of 24 matches this season, including at Indiana (9) last Friday.

• Bailey ranks second on the team with 2.39 digs per set, only behind libero Abby Monson. She is also 12th in the Big Ten with 0.29 service aces per set, and averages 0.38 blocks per frame.

• Alyssa Garvelink ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 37th nationally in hitting percentage (.374), while ranking seventh in the B1G blocks (1.23/s). She currently averages 2.44 kills per set. In Big Ten play only, Garvelink is fifth in blocks (1.31 per set) and third in hitting percentage (.369).

• Garvelink surpassed 300 career blocks with her three against Penn State (Sept. 30) while fellow middle Allyssah Fitterer secured her 300th career block vs. No. 1 Nebraska the previous Saturday. To move into the MSU all-time top 10, they need to surpass Jenilee Rathje's 366 (2007-11); Garvelink currently has 342, and Fitterer 326.

• Garvelink's 307 career block assists is also just outside MSU's career top 10. Erin Hartley (1998-2001) sits in 10th place with 321. Fitterer has 294 block assists.

• Garvelink's current 1.10 blocks per set average ranks in a tie for seventh in the MSU career annals. Her 1.23 blocks per set on the season would fall just outside the top 10 in the single-season record book.

• Garvelink's .374 hitting percentage and 1.23 blocks per set are her career bests. In her first two collegiate seasons, Garvelink hit .244 and averaged 2.15 kills and 1.05 blocks per frame.

• Allyssah Fitterer is hitting an impressive .390 on the season, averaging 2.08 kills per frame and 0.67 blocks per set. She is second in the Big Ten (and 25th nationally) in hitting percentage, and in Big Ten games only, she is hitting .353 - good for seventh.

• Fitterer has 952 career kills with eight regular-season matches left to play, leaving her within striking distance of becoming the 22nd Spartan to accomplish 1,000 in her career. Chloe Reinig accomplished the feat earlier this season against Morgan State, and was the first Spartan to 1,000 kills since Lauren Wicinski in 2013.

• Fitterer's junior season saw her hit a career-best .301, but through the first 24 matches of the season, she is 25th in the nation with a .390 hitting percentage. Fitterer's career hitting percentage was .277 entering her final collegiate campaign.

• Both Fitterer and Garvelink have hitting percentages that would rank among MSU's top single-season performances. Fitterer's .390 would rank fifth, and Garvelink's .374 would be seventh. Only one time in school history has a pair of teammates had top-10 single-season hitting performances in the same season - in 2001, both Erin Hartley and Angela Morely hit .337, which is tied for 10th in a single season in the MSU annals. MSU has not had a .400 hitter for a season since 2000 (Jessica Sanborn, .417).

• Rachel Minarick has averaged 10.07 assists per set over the first 12 Big Ten matches, which puts her 10th in Conference games. She is averaging 10.12 assists per set overall, which ranks 10th.

• Minarick posted a double-double at Purdue with 38 assists and 12 digs, her fourth double-double of the season and 21st of her career. Three of her four double-doubles this season have come on the road.

• Minarick became the seventh setter in school history to surpass 3,000 career assists. Her current total of 3,019 career assists ranks seventh all-time in the MSU record book. Assistant coach Kristen Kelsay ranks sixth with 3,040, a mark Minarick could surpass this weekend. Minarick's career average of 9.80 assists per frame is currently eighth in the Spartan record book.

• Holly Toliver posted 10 digs and three aces in MSU's match at Purdue on Saturday. She ranks third in the Big Ten in service aces per set (0.36) and averages 1.40 kills and 0.25 blocks per frame. She averages 1.92 digs per set, third behind libero Abby Monson and Autumn Bailey. Her 1.93 digs per set is nearly double her career best coming into the season.

• Toliver, who dealt with several injuries in her first two seasons that limited her court time, is now one of two players to appear in 80 of 81 sets, sharing the team lead with libero Abby Monson.

• Abby Monson has started all 24 matches at libero this season, and is averaging 3.09 digs per frame, good for 11th in the Big Ten. She posted 14 digs in Saturday's win at Purdue, her second-highest total in a Big Ten match this season behind the 21 she posted vs. Minnesota (Oct. 15). In Big Ten games only, her 3.05 digs per set ranks 10th.