Volleyball Preps for Midweek Tilt at Ohio State
11/6/2023
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State volleyball hits the road for a midweek contest at Ohio State on Wednesday, November 8. First serve from the Covelli Center is set for 7:00 p.m. in Columbus. The Spartans look to continue a three-match winning streak in the B1G, the longest by the program since 2017.
Wednesday night's match will be streamed live on B1G+. Fans can also listen in live via MSUSpartans.com where Jeremy Otto has the call over the Spartan Media Network.
??? Victory for MSU
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 5, 2023
There’s just nothing like playing in front of a home crowd!#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/m0le4gjWaF
NOTES TO KNOW
ABOUT OHIO STATE
Ohio State is 9-14 overall and 6-8 in the Big Ten this season. The Buckeyes went 1-1 last weekend, defeating Indiana and falling to Minnesota, both by scores of 3-1.
OSU ranks No. 254 nationally in aces per set (1.33), No. 146 in assists per set (11.68), No. 274 in blocks per set (1.71), No. 155 in digs per set (14.34), No. 121 in hitting percentage (.222), No. 118 in kills per set (12.79) and No. 239 in opponent hitting percentage (.220).
Emily Londot is among the best players in the country. A two-time All-American, Londot ranks No. 5 nationally in kills per set (4.86) and No. 10 in points per set (5.24) while hitting .218. Londot also averages 2.45 digs per set and leads the Buckeyes in total digs this season.
Chelsea Thorpe (188) and Rylee Rader (184) are among other Buckeye kill leaders this season.
Mia Tuman earned co-B1G Freshman of the Week this week and leads Ohio State with 9.59 assists per set on 767 total assists this season. Eloise Brandewie leads OSU in total blocks (79) on .91 blocks per set.
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State
- Michigan State is 33-52 all-time against Ohio State and 10-26 when playing in Columbus.
- The Buckeyes have won five straight against MSU dating back to Jan. 31, 2021.
- MSU last defeated Ohio State on Oct. 4, 2019, a 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-21). The Spartans hit .340 as Meredith Norris led with 11 kills. Rebecka Poljan posted six blocks and Jamye Cox added 12 digs. Elena Shklyar led with 18 assists, one more than the 17 of Audrey Alford.
McARTHUR MAKING HER MARK
- Fifth year middle blocker Amani McArthur is making the most of her first and only season in the Big Ten after transferring to Michigan State from Charlotte last summer.
- McArthur ranks No. 8 in the conference in hitting percentage at .359 this season and is No. 8 in blocks per set at 1.15.
- McArthur leads the conference with 27 total solo blocks this season, with 19 coming against B1G opponents.
Taylah takes home @B1GVolleyball Freshman of the Week honors! ??
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 6, 2023
The New Zealand native led us in kills/set (4.33) and points per set (4.67) last week, adding 3.00 digs/set playing all six rotations.
??: https://t.co/FVsu7zdLip#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/CcAvnNNmUa
HOLDEM EARNS B1G HONORS
- Holdem becomes the eighth student-athlete in program history to earn B1G Freshman of the Week honors.
- Holdem is the first Spartan to earn the award since Julia Bishop did it on Nov. 8, 2021.
- Holdem led Michigan State in kills (26), kills per set (4.33) and points per set (4.67), while also recording 18 digs on 3.00 digs per set last weekend.
- Among the rest of the B1G, Holdem ranked No. 8 in kills per set and No. 10 in points per set.
- Holdem shares the honor with Ohio State setter Mia Tuman.
LAST WEEK IN SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL
- Michigan State went 2-0 last weekend to improve to 16-9 overall with a pair of 3-0 wins over Maryland and Iowa.
- The Spartans have secured an above .500 record for the first time since 2018.
- MSU moves to 8-6 in B1G action, the most in conference wins by the program since 2017.
- Taylah Holdem led the Spartans with 26 kills, hitting .281 on 4.33 kills and 4.67 points per set last week.
LAST WEEK IN SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL
- Amani McArthur had a monster weekend in the middle averaging 1.67 blocks per set and hitting .538 with 16 kills and just two attacking errors.
- Nalani Iosia also had a big weekend averaging 5.00 digs per set to lead the team with 30 total digs.
- Julia Bishop led Michigan State with 39 assists and Rachel Muisenga added 30 in MSU's 6-2 system.
- Muisenga and Karolina Staniszewska each had four aces over the weekend.
HOLDEM AMONG BEST IN B1G
- In B1G play, Holdem ranks No. 9 in kills per set (3.54) and No. 8 in points per set (4.00).
- Holdem leads all B1G freshmen hitters in points per set.
- Holdem ranks No. 9 in the B1G in kills per set (3.39) and No. 9 in points per set (3.83) in the season-long leaderboard.
- Holdem had a season-high and career-best 25 kills against Northwestern on 9/29, the most single match kills by an MSU freshman since 1998 (Erin Hartley, 28).
- If the season ended today, Holdem's 3.39 kills per set would rank fourth all-time by an MSU freshman behind Veronica Morales (5.06), Jenna Wrobel (4.59) and Kim Schram (3.43).
B1G STATISTICAL RANKINGS
- Nalani Iosia ranks No. 4 in the B1G in digs (388) and is No. 4 in digs per set (4.17).
- Amani McArthur is No. 8 in the conference in hitting at .359 and No. 8 in blocks per set (1.15). McArthur is No. 7 in blocks per set in B1G play at 1.18.
- Taylah Holdem in No. 9 in kills per set (3.39) and No. 9 in points per set (3.83). Holdem is No. 8 in points per set in B1G play at 4.00.
- Jayhlin Swain is No. 6 in aces per set at 0.35.
- Michigan State ranks No. 3 in opponent hitting percentage in the B1G at .182 and is No. 8 in hitting percentage at .224.
Back on the road for two B1G matches this week! Starting it off with a mid-week at Ohio State on Wednesday night.#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/k88kS1ugn9
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 6, 2023
