Volleyball Heads East for Dog Pound Challenge
9/13/2023
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball is back on the road this weekend, heading to Storrs, Connecticut to play in the 2023 Dog Pound Challenge, hosted by UConn. The Spartans will play a series of three matches over the course of three days, meeting host UConn, Brown and Binghamton. Action gets underway at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 15 when MSU takes on the Huskies.
Friday's match will be streamed live on UConn+. The remainder of the weekend's matches will not be streamed. Fans can listen in live for all three matches via the Spartan Media Network, where John Kreger will provide commentary over the online airwaves.
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NOTES TO KNOW
ABOUT UCONN
UConn enters the weekend with an overall record of 4-5 after going 2-1 last week with wins over Sacred Heart and Rhode Island. The Huskies were defeated by Yale, 3-1, on Saturday, Sept. 9.
Ellen Herman-Kimball is in her fifth season as head coach at UConn owning a 61-53 career record.
The Huskies lost their Top 4 in kills (Caylee Parker, Jasmine Davis, Allie Garland, Kennadie Jake-Turner), their leader in assists (Madi Whitmire) and their leader in blocks (Jake-Turner) from 2022.
UConn is led in kills by a pair of underclassmen in sophomore Emma Werkmeister and freshman Mya Ayro. Setting duties are split between a pair of newcoming transfers, Doga Kutlu from Missouri State-West Plains and Ayva Cebollero from Oregon. Three-year starter Karly Berkland returns at libero and leads the team in digs (109) after posting 3.80 digs per set as a sophomore. Taylor Pannell is a three-year starter in the middle ranking second on the team in blocks in 2022 and leads the Huskies in total blocks through the first nine matches of 2023.
ABOUT BROWN
Brown has opened the season a spotless 7-0 with wins over Le Moyne, Rhode Island (x2), Stonehill, George Mason, Radford and Robert Morris, however those opponents own a combined 9-43 record to start the season.
Taylor Virtue is in her first season as head coach after serving as an assistant coach for the Bears for the two previous seasons.
As a team, Brown ranks No. 4 in DI in opponent hitting percentage (.122), No. 8 in kills per set (14.52), No. 17 in hitting percentage (.292), No. 22 in assists per set (13.13), No. 27 in aces per set (2.09), No. 41 in digs per set (15.91) and No. 42 in blocks per set (2.57).
Jessie Golden is averaging 5.83 digs per set to rank No. 3 nationally, while Cierra Jenkins' 10.50 assists per set ranks No. 29. Beau Vanderlaan leads the team in kills (61) and blocks (29) while hitting .419 in the middle and averaging 1.26 blocks per set. Vanderlaan (First Team) and Kate Sheire (Second Team) were All-Ivy last season.
ABOUT BINGHAMTON
Binghamton is 6-4 to start the 2023 season and recently went 2-1 at the Lehigh Steel Classic where they defeated Fairleigh Dickinson (3-2) and Lehigh (3-0) before falling to Delaware State (3-1) in the finale.
Allie Yaeger is in her second year as head coach at Binghamton after being named the 2022 America East Coaching Staff of the Year along with assistant coach CJ Werneke.
The Bearcats return four All-AEC players, including 2022 AEC Player of the Year and All-American Tsvetelina Ilieva. Lottie Scully and Anna Sprys were second team selections. First team selection Stefana Stan has yet to appear for Binghamton this season.
Ilieva ranks No. 1 nationally in service aces (24), No. 4 in total points (184) and No. 8 in total kills (150). Misa Dlouha ranks No. 17 in DI in total blocks (45). Binghamton has played in a 6-2 using three different setters this season, Zoe Mynit, Danit Cohen and Lottie Scully. Madison Konopka leads the team with 4.36 digs per set after a 29 dig performance against Delaware State.
SERIES HISTORY
UConn
- Michigan State leads, 2-0
- The Spartans have won both prior meetings against the Huskies, winning 3-0 at the 2008 Spartan Invitational and 3-0 at the 2012 UConn Classic.
- Lauren Wicinski had 17 kills and 10 digs in MSU's 3-0 win over UConn in 2012 as the Huskies hit -.011 in the match. Jenilee Rathje had a match-high 14 kills in the 2008 meeting when the Spartans hit .440.
Brown
- First Ever Meeting
- Michigan State is 3-0 all-time against Ivy League opponents, last defeating Harvard, 3-1, at the 2018 Fairfield Invitational. MSU has previously faced Harvard (2-0) and Dartmouth (1-0).
Binghamton
- First Ever Meeting
- MSU is 8-0 all-time against the America East Conference, last defeating UAlbany, 3-0, at the 2022 Kristen Dickmann Invitational. MSU previously defeated UAlbany (4-0) and New Hampshire (4-0).
SWAIN SERVES IT UP
- Sophomore defensive specialist Jayhlin Swain currently leads the Spartans with 17 service aces through eight matches.
- Swain ranks No. 10 in DI and is tied for the Big Ten conference lead in aces per set at 0.68.
- Swain's 17 aces ranks fourth in the B1G.
- Swain has tied her previous career-high of four aces on three occassions already this season, doing it against Belmont (9/2), Syracuse (9/2) and North Carolina (9/10).
- Michigan State has been a tough serving team all season ranking No. 33 nationally in aces per set with 2.04.
Correction: Taylah Holdem's 21 kills against UNC actually ties for most by a Michigan State freshman since 2000!
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 11, 2023
She matches freshman Jenny Rood's 21 kills against Illinois on Nov. 3, 2000.#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/0EWRCidVDx
LAST WEEK IN SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL
- Michigan State split the weekend 1-1 with a 3-1 win over UNC and a 3-0 loss to Duke.
- Taylah Holdem posted 21 kills against North Carolina in Michigan State's 3-1 win over the Tar Heels on Sunday, Sept. 10.
- Holdem's 21 kills were the most by an MSU freshman since Jenny Rood's 21 kills against Illinois on Nov. 3, 2000.
- Prior to Rood's 21, the most by a freshman was 28 by Erin Hartley against Wisconsin on Nov. 27, 1998.
- Holdem's 4.57 kills per set ranked second among all players in the Big Ten last week, trailing only Illinois' Raina Terry (5.70).
- Holdem's 4.71 points per set ranked tied for fourth in the conference behind Terry (6.25), Chloe Chicoine (4.89), Mady Saris (4.78) and tied with Emily Londot (4.71).
LAST WEEK IN SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL
- Nalani Iosia ranked second in the B1G in digs per set last week averaging 4.29, behind just Maddi Cuchran of Michigan (4.57).
- Iosia posted her first double-double of the season on Sunday with a career-best 10 assists and 14 digs.
- It was the third double-double of Iosia's career (2022 - vs. Louisiana, vs. Iowa)
- Jayhlin Swain once again tied her career-high in aces over the weekend with four against North Carolina. Swain is No. 10 nationally in aces per set (0.68).
- Michigan State's 12 service aces against North Carolina on Sunday were the most since they had 17 against Navy on Sept. 2, 2022.
- Swain (4), Makya Clayton (3) and Karolina Staniszewska (3) all had multiple aces against the Tar Heels.
- Aliyah Moore made her return to the starting lineup against Duke on Friday posting 10 kills.
WHO'S BACK?
- Michigan State returns 11 players in 2023, ranking third-most in the Big Ten behind Indiana and Wisconsin (12).
- Six of those returners started in 10 or more matches for MSU in 2022, including Maradith O'Gorman, Nil Okur, Evie Doezema, Aliyah Moore, Jayhlin Swain, Julia Bishop. Nalani Iosia also returns for the Spartans.
- O'Gorman, Okur and Doezema all started in 20+ matches for the Spartans in 2022. Jayhlin Swain was the only Spartan to play in every set last season, while Iosia missed just one.
- Doezema played on the outside in 2022, but will transition to middle blocker in 2023.
- Avery Horejsi and Selin Aslayan also made starts for the Spartans in 2022 and are joined by Grace Kelly and Rachel Muisenga as other returners.
THE NEWCOMERS
- Amani McArthur joins the Spartans after playing four seasons at Charlotte. McArthur was a First Team All-C-USA selection and averaged 2.00 kills and 1.20 blocks per set over her final three years at Charlotte while hitting .372 in the middle.
- Karolina Staniszewska arrives from Poland after being named the Best Outside Hitter at the 2022 U19 European Championships.
- Setter Cameron Berger ranked as a Top 100 incoming recruit in the Class of 2023 by PrepDig.
- Outside hitter Taylah Holdem brings strong passing skills and a wicked serve to the team utilizing her beach volleyball background.
- Middles Kaya Hood (6-5) and Zuzanna Kulig (6-4) add size to the 2023 Spartan squad.
Our thoughts are with the family of former Michigan State head volleyball coach Ginger Mayson, who passed away last Thursday at the age of 68.
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 12, 2023
??: https://t.co/4vBIFO7OIu pic.twitter.com/aDRS95hWj5
WHO'S UP NEXT?
Michigan State continues play on the road next weekend, first driving down the road for the B1G opener at Michigan on Friday, Sept. 22. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. The Spartans will then travel to Champaign, Illinois to meet Illinois for a 1:00 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 24. Michigan enters this weekend with a record of 2-5, while Illinois is 5-3 overall.
