Spartans Host Fan Appreciation Match Wednesday vs. Illinois

**Big Ten Week 14: Spartans vs. No. 4 Illinois, No. 18 Michigan**
vs. No. 4 Illinois	Wednesday, Nov. 21, 7 pm Jenison Field House
	Live Stats \| Watch: BTN2Go
	Ticket Promotions: Fan Appreciation Night (Free Admission (pending capacity)
at No. 18 Michigan	Saturday, Nov. 24, 7 pm; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Crisler Center
	Live Stats \| Watch: BTN2GO \| Tickets
Radio	SpartanSportsNetwork.com (or download the SSN24/7 app); John Kreger, pxp
Download Game Notes	Michigan State \| Illinois \| Michigan
Social Media	Facebook Twitter Instagram
No-Bag Policy	Patrons are asked to review MSU's No-Bag Policy
Parking	Patrons are encouraged to utilize Kellogg Center, IM West, or Breslin Center as Jenison lot fills quickly.

Team Notes

• Michigan State readies for its final week of the Big Ten season, with a Wednesday match at home vs. No. 4 Illinois before a return date with No. 18 Michigan on Saturday at Crisler Arena.

• On Wednesday, the program will honor senior captain Maddie Haggerty to recognize her contributions to Spartan volleyball at the conclusion of the match vs. the Illini.

• For Wednesday's match vs. Illinois, the Spartans will be hosting Fan Appreciation Night, where patrons will be admitted for free (until the facility reaches capacity). MSU is closing in on its fourth straight season with average attendance figures in the national top 10, and would like to acknowledge the fans that have helped make Jenison Field House one of the top atmospheres in collegiate volleyball.

• Both matches will have a live video webstream via BTN2Go. Visit MSUSpartans.com or BTN2Go.com for direct links.

• John Kreger returns behind the mic to call the action for Michigan State volleyball on the Spartan Sports Network. All games - home and away - will be carried live.

• The Spartans split last week's action, going on the road to down Rutgers on Wednesday (3-2) before falling to Michigan at home on Saturday (3-1).

• The Big Ten season has been a grind for the young Spartans, who have shown significant growth over the course of a gauntlet of top-25 opponents. MSU's starting lineup features one senior, two sophomores (one libero) and four freshmen.

• MSU and Illinois are meeting for the second time this season. The Illini hold a 51-27 all-time record in the series, and with the 3-0 match win on Oct. 20, snapped a three-match winning streak for the Spartans in the series.

• Chris Tamas has guided his team to a 26-3 overall record and No. 4 national ranking in his second season with the Illini. UI comes in with a 15-3 record in Big Ten matches, and the Illini have won 11 straight dating back to Oct. 13 at Wisconsin.

• In the first meeting with the Illini, MSU had its struggles to start the match, but gained confidence as the match wore on and played even with the home team for much of the second and third sets, just unable to put away the potent Illini offense in a 3-0 road loss. UI hit .327 in the match (50-17-101), while MSU recovered from a difficult start to hit .198 (24-17-86). The teams each had six blocks and Illinois had a slight edge in digs, 31-29.
    Illinois placed three in double figures; Jacquie Quade had 14 kills, including the final two in the match to lead all scorers. Ali Bastianelli had 11 kills and three blocks, and setter Jordan Poulter had 43 assists, seven digs, and a match-best four blocks. Alyssa Chronowski had 11 kills and three blocks for the Spartans; Maddie Haggerty had six kills and six digs. Jamye Cox had 11 digs to lead all players.

• MSU is 54-42-1 all-time against Michigan, and the teams have split their regular-season meetings in each of the last eight seasons. Each team has won in its home facility in each of the last four years, but Michigan picked up a win at Jenison Field House last Saturday, Michigan's first in East Lansing since 2013. Mark Rosen is in his 20th season at the helm of the Wolverines, and earlier this season picked up his 600th collegiate victory.

• Last Saturday's match vs. Michigan featured 37 tie scores and 16 lead changes between the teams. The first set went to extra points, a frame eventually captured by the Wolverines, 30-28. MSU evened it up with a 25-18 win in the second set, and Michigan won by a similar margin in the third, 25-17. The fourth played much like the first frame, going to extra points where Michigan closed it out 26-24.
    Maddie Haggerty had her sixth consecutive double-double with 13 each kills and digs. MSU's middles also stood out- Naya Gros hit .481, posting 15 kills and a match-best five blocks. Rebecka Poljan had 12 kills and hit .375.
    Paige Jones led all scorers with 17 kills and 10 digs for the Wolverines, while Carly Skojdt also posted a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs. MacKenzi Welsh had 37 assists and seven digs.

• In 1990, Michigan State and Michigan began a "State Pride" season series to celebrate the in-state rivalry. A State of Michigan flag, bearing the state motto "Tuebor" (`I Will Defend') serves as the trophy for winner of the head-to-head meetings of the two teams.
   The two teams shared the Flag in 2014 as both tiebreakers (set wins, and then total points) were even. MSU had won or shared the Flag in six straight seasons (2010-15) before Michigan claimed the Flag in each of the last two years with more set victories (4-3).

• The Spartans finished the first half of the Big Ten schedule with a 3-7 record, and currently sit at 5-13 and in 12th place. Minnesota claimed the outright Big Ten title last weekend, and boasts a 18-0 Conference record, with Illinois in second at 15-3.

• The Spartans won three straight non-conference tournament titles in the pre-conference portion of the schedule. MSU swept through the competition at the Carolina Classic, Fairfield Invitational, and Auto Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational, and finished second in the opening weekend at the Tennessee Classic.

• MSU (17-14) is no longer receiving votes in the most recent AVCA National Poll. Seven teams from the Big Ten are among the national top 20, with five appearing in the top eight.

• MSU ranks seventh nationally in average attendance, welcoming an average of 3,066 patrons to Jenison Field House per match. MSU is in search of its fourth straight season in the national top 10. Meanwhile, the Spartans rank 12th in overall attendance (36,792).

• The Spartans have hit .200 or better in each of the last four matches after hitting .200 just four times in its first 14 Big Ten contests.

• The Spartans are averaging 2.64 blocks per set, which is good for fourth in the Big Ten and 18th nationally. MSU's total blocks (298.5) ranks 18th nationally, and ranks first among Big Ten programs.

• MSU has double-digit blocking totals 14 of 31 matches overall. The Spartans put up a season-high 18 blocks vs. Ohio State (Nov. 7), and had 12 in their most recent game vs. Michigan. The Spartans tied their season best with six solo blocks against the Wolverines, a total they reached twice this season previously: vs. Alabama-Birmingham and in the first match vs. Rutgers (Sept. 29)

• MSU ranks third in the Big Ten and ranks 43rd nationally in service aces per set (1.51), with 171 aces over 113 frames. The Green & White boast six matches with double-digit aces, the most of any team in the Big Ten. The single-match high of 14 is held by both Maryland (vs. Ohio State) and Rutgers (vs. Coppin State), with MSU's single-match best of 13 aces vs. Chattanooga ranking in a tie for third. MSU has seven players with double-digit aces on the year.

• MSU has gone 132-26 (.835) in non-conference action in Cathy George's 14 years at the helm, and has never lost more than four games prior to the beginning of the Big Ten season.

• MSU's 2018 roster features one senior (captain Maddie Haggerty), two juniors (setter Maggie Midgette and DS Samantha McLean), and two large classes of sophomores and freshmen. The 2017 recruiting class was ranked No. 9 by PrepVolleyball, while the current freshmen came in ranked at No. 15.

• MSU's streak of seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances is the third-longest in the Big Ten, behind Penn State and Nebraska. In addition, MSU, Nebraska, and Penn State are the only teams to finish .500 or better in Big Ten play in each of the last seven seasons (2011-17).

• The Big Ten coaches selected defending National Champion Nebraska as the 2018 pre-season conference favorite, followed by Wisconsin and Minnesota in second and third, respectively. The Spartans appeared at No. 9 in the Big Ten preseason survey.

• Cathy George is one of four Big Ten head coaches to amass 600+ wins (636), along with Penn State's Russ Rose (1,266), Nebraska's John Cook (713), and Michigan's Mark Rosen (615). She entered the 2018 season 19th among active coaches in coaching victories with a 621-398 overall record, 50th all-time in Division I history.

Player Notes
• Senior Maddie Haggerty delivered a two more double-doubles last week, extending her personal streak to six straight and eight overall on the season. In the two matches, she averaged 2.9 kills and 2.8 digs per frame. Over her six-match double-double streak, she has averaged 3.23 kills and 2.77 digs per set.

• On the year, Haggerty is averaging 2.80 kills and 2.16 digs per set, which is good for second on the team in both categories. She also has added 18 service aces.

• Alyssa Chronowski has produced 22 double-digit kill performances this season, and ranks 13th in the Big Ten in kills per set (3.07). She is also averaging 0.66 blocks and 0.91 digs per set. Just once in 31 games has she has been held to less than seven kills.

• Chronowski leads MSU with 29 solo blocks this season, including a career-best four twice: vs. Northwestern (10/19) and last Saturday vs. Michigan. Four block solos is the second-most in a three-set match in program history, last accomplished by Kim Schram in 2001 vs. Penn State.

• Naya Gros ranks ninth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.332). In addition, she ranks 41st nationally in total blocks (134) and is fifth in the Big Ten with 1.20 blocks per frame. Among league freshmen, Gros is second in hitting percentage, 11th in kills (2.04/s) and third in blocks.

• Gros hit a combined .535 last week with double-digit kills in both matches. She posted 12 kills in a midweek win at Rutgers where she hit .625, then led all Spartans with 15 kills against Michigan. She averaged 1.22 blocks per set over the week, with six stuffs against Rutgers and five against the Wolverines.

• Gros' 10 blocks against Chattanooga on Aug. 25 is her career best in that category, and ranks second among single-game match highs for any player in the Big Ten this season.

• Gros is establishing herself as one of MSU's top first-year blockers in program history. Her 134 blocks this season ranks third on the all-time freshman list at MSU, with the record being held by Angela Morley (181 in 1999). Rebecka Poljan ranks ninth on that list with 94, and Molly Johnson is just outside the top 10 with 84. Gros needs five blocks to pass Jenilee Rathje (138) for second place on the all-time freshman list at MSU.

• Gros has 18 solo blocks on the season, good for a tie for sixth (with Alexis Mathews) in a season for an MSU freshman. She ranks third on the freshman block assists list, with 116. Poljan's 82 block assists ranks in a tie for seventh with Allyssah Fitterer (2013).
• Gros's hitting percentage (.332) would be first on MSU's all-time freshman list, which is currently headed by Morley, who hit .321 in 1999.

• Rebecka Poljan averaged 2.22 kills, hit .366, and added two aces, two digs, and three blocks in the matches vs. Rutgers and Michigan.

• Poljan ranks second on the team with 0.98 blocks per set, just outside the top 15 in the Big Ten. She is averaging 1.84 kills per set and hitting .244 on the year. Among first-years in the Big Ten, she ranks seventh in blocks, eighth in hitting percentage, and 12th in kills.

• The rapidly-improving Molly Johnson is averaging 1.78 kills to go with her 0.84 blocks per set. She has appeared in just 100 of 113 sets due to injury. Among B1G freshmen, she is 11th in hitting percentage (.200), 15th in kills (1.78) and 11th in blocks per frame (0.84)

• Elena Shklyar is averaging 8.03 assists per set in MSU's 6-2 offense, which is good for 12th in the Big Ten and fourth among B1G freshmen. She owns the team lead in service aces (33), and is also averaging 1.16 digs, 0.35 blocks, and 0.33 aces - which is tied for second in the Big Ten in aces per set.

• Shklyar has 795 assists on the year, which is good for seventh all-time on the MSU record book for a freshman. Shklyar's assists per set (8.03) also ranks seventh for a first-year setter in Green and White.

• Maggie Midgette is the other half of MSU's 6-2, and is averaging 5.80 assists per set with 0.33 aces and 0.92 digs per frame.

• Midgette recorded five aces in the MSU win over Chattanooga (Aug. 25), which is tied for the single-match high among Spartan players this season. Elena Shklyar had five against both Northeastern (Sept. 8) and Ohio State (Nov. 7).

• Redshirt sophomore Lauren Swartz has dealt with a nagging injury this season, and didn't make her season debut until the Big Ten opener at Iowa. She has averaged 1.45 kills and a .205 hitting percentage on the year.

• Jamye Cox has appeared in 27 of 31 matches this season. She is averaging 3.82 digs (11th, B1G), 0.49 assists, and 0.22 aces per set.

• Cox has double-digit digs in 15 of 18 Big Ten contests. With 386 digs on the season, she is three shy of surpassing her freshman-year total.

• Junior Samantha McLean is third on the team with 1.84 digs per set, and she also has 15 service aces on the year.

• McLean was named to the CoSIDA/Google Cloud Academic All-District team last Thursday. McLean is not only MSU's primary DS, but she also boasts a 4.0 grade-point average as a Kinesiology/Pre-Med major.

• Sophomore OH Meredith Norris is averaging 1.69 kills and 1.61 digs per set. She is one of seven athletes with double-digit service aces (14).

• Lauryn Gibbs established her career best with 12 digs in the wins over Indiana (Oct.5) and at Maryland (Oct. 12). She posted eight digs last Saturday against Michigan, boasting several outstanding defensive plays that didn't result in numbers on a scoresheet.

• Talia Edmonds has stood out at the service line with seven aces on the season, and also posted a career-best five digs against Alabama-Birmingham (Sept. 15).

• Redshirt freshman Bella Legarza made her MSU debut vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, and also saw time at Ohio State.

• Julia Hatcher will miss the remainder of the season with an injury. She averaged better than a block per set (1.10) for MSU before her season came to a halt after appearing in just 20 sets.

Spartans Host Fan Appreciation Match Wednesday vs. Illinois

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Players Mentioned

Alyssa Chronowski

Jamye Cox

Talia Edmonds

Lauryn Gibbs

Naya Gros

Maddie Haggerty

Julia Hatcher

Molly Johnson

Bella Legarza

Samantha McLean

Maggie Midgette

Meredith Norris

Rebecka Poljan

Elena Shklyar

Lauren Swartz