Volleyball to Host Duke, North Carolina
9/6/2023
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball is set to host an unofficial B1G/ACC Challenge this weekend when Duke and North Carolina arrive in East Lansing. The Spartans will first face-off against Duke on Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:00 p.m. before meeting North Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1:00 p.m. Both matches will be played inside the Breslin Student Events Center.
Michigan State Athletics has several promotions happening during this weekend's match-ups. Friday night's match against Duke is the Student Block Party, with students receiving a free student section t-shirt (while supplies last). It's also Camper Reunion Night for those who attended a Michigan State volleyball camp over the summer.
Sunday's match against North Carolina is the Grow Your Game match as MSU aims to empower youth through sports. The first 100 kids (8th grade and under) through the gates will receive a free Spartan puzzle. By collecting all puzzle pieces around the concourse, kids will be invited to take a photo on court post-match.
It's also alumni weekend for the Spartans, who are set to host countless program alumni including: Cheryl Barrea, Kristine (Bailey) Heidger, Susan (Coscarelly) Gallogly, Stephanie (Knopp) Marshall, Shantelle Schmidt, Dana Cooke, Mary Jo Hardy, Erin (Hartley) Buchanan, Dawn (Andrews) Chura, Mary Jane (Williams) Ferris, Karen Keener, Amy Rauch, Kayleen (Cook) Grand, Cheryl Histed, Heidi Musser, Rebecka (Poljan) Williams, Meredith Norris, Chris (Jacobs) DeJarlais.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
With several construction projects on campus this fall, Spartan athletics is asking fans to allow extra time to arrive at the Breslin Center. $5 parking is available at Lot 63 and Ramp 7. Handicapped parking is available in Lot 126 ($5 paid upon entrance).
Gilbert Pavilion and the Northeast Kalamazoo gates will open one hour prior to match time.
NOTES TO KNOW
ABOUT DUKE
Duke is 4-2 to open the 2023 season, defeating then No. 18 Creighton (3-2), Loyola Maryland (3-1), West Virginia (3-2) and Elon (3-0). Jolene Nagel is in her 25th season as head coach of the Blue Devils and is 9th among active DI coaches in career wins with 687 entering this weekend.
Sophomore outside Kerry Keefe leads the Blue Devils in kills with 83 while hitting .360. Michigan transfer middle blocker Jess Robinson has posted a .429 attack percentage through six matches, ranking No. 43 in DI. Gracie Johnson was an All-America honorable mention at outside last season, but is hitting just .081 through six matches.
Cornell transfer Emma Worthington leads the team in assists with 193. Jolene Nagel has ties to Cornell following a head coaching stint there from 1988-1992 (Four seasons).
Lizzie Fleming leads the Blue Devils in blocks this season with 17, followed by Robinson's 16. Madison Bryant returns at libero to lead the team in digs after suffering a season-ending injury in 2022 after six games.
Duke returned its Top 5 in kills and Top 2 in blocks while adding Robinson (120 blocks in 2022). Robinson was also No. 3 in DI for attacking percentage in 2022 (.438).
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina is 4-1 to open the season, defeating Pacific, Arizona, West Virginia and Loyola (Maryland). The Tar Heels dropped a 3-1 match to UC Davis at the Cactus Classic. Mike Schall is in his first season as head coach, previously serving as an assistant on the staff from 2018-2022.
UNC ranks No. 31 nationally in service aces per set at 2.10, led by eight from Mabrey Shaffmaster.
Charlotte transfer Emani' Foster (former teammate of MSU's Amani McArthur) leads the Tar Heels in kills with 67 hitting .249, followed by Shaffmaster with 64 hitting .180 for UNC. Sadie Swift leads the team with 21 blocks (1.05/s) while Maddy May is the team leader in digs (77, 3.85/s).
Setters Maria Miggins and Zoe Behrendt ran the offense in a 6-2 last weekend. Anita Babic played just one set against Loyola (Maryland).
UNC will face Michigan on Friday night prior to arriving in East LansingLibero Alyssa Bert returns after ranking second on the team in digs last season. Freshman Veronica Sierzant has taken over the setting duties for the Orange. Laila Smith tied for the team-high in blocks last weekend (4) after transferring from Alabama.
SERIES HISTORY
Duke
- Michigan State leads, 3-2
- Duke took its second match of the all-time series in 2022, defeating the Spartans in five sets, 3-2. Michigan State came back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set. Maradith O'Gorman had 14 kills and 13 digs for MSU in the match.
North Carolina
- Michigan State leads, 5-3
- The Tar Heels swept Michigan State in 2022, 3-0, in Chapel Hill. MSU had previously won three straight over UNC. Evie Doezema had 13 kills against North Carolina last season.
IOSIA NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
- Libero Nalani Iosia was named B1G Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 5. It's the first B1G honor of Iosia's career.
- Iosia is the first Spartan to earn Defensive Player of the Week since Jamye Cox did it on Sept. 3, 2019.
- Iosia led all players at the KDI with 47 digs on 5.22 digs per set. She finished Saturday's match against Belmont with a season-high 22 digs, which including 12 digs in the first set.
- Iosia was named MVP at the inaugural Kathy DeBoer Invitational last weekend.
- Spartans have now been named Defensive Player of the Week 18 times since the weekly award began in 2005.
- Other Spartans that have earned Defensive Player of the Week include: Vanessa King, Nicole Colaluca, Jenilee Rathje, Lauren O'Reilly, Jessica Hohl, Allyson Karaba, Alexis Mathews, Kori Moster, Abby Monson, Megan Tompkins, Alyssa Garvelink, Autumn Bailey and Jamye Cox.
SAY IT WITH US ???
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 5, 2023
B1G Defensive Player of the Week, Nalani Iosia
Congrats to Nalani Iosia on earning our first B1G Defensive Player of the Week honor since 2019! ??
??: https://t.co/G10HB1tria pic.twitter.com/41gd3UMNNE
LAST WEEK IN SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL
- The Spartans went 3-0 at the inaugural Kathy DeBoer Invitational presented by Auto-Owners Insurance.
- Michigan State is on a streak of four consecutive sweeps entering the weekend, the longest such streak since Sept. 2018 when the Spartans swept six straight from 9/7-9/15.
- Senior libero Nalani Iosia was named MVP at the Kathy DeBoer Invitational after averaging 5.22 digs per set over the weekend.
- Freshman outside hitter Taylah Holdem was named to the All-Tournament Team after leading MSU in kills (36) while hitting .338. Holdem led the team in kills in all three matches.
- Freshman setter Cameron Berger was MSU's final All-Tournament Team selection with 92 assists, good for 10.22 per set.
LAST WEEK IN SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL
- Belmont hit -.110 against MSU, the first team to hit negative against the Spartans since IUPUI on Sept. 18, 2021.
- Jayhlin Swain twice tied her career-high in aces over the weekend with four against Belmont and Syracuse. Swain is No. 21 nationally in aces per set (0.68).
- Nil Okur led the Spartans with 11 blocks over the weekend.
- Michigan State out-hit opponents .327 to .039 at the KDI.
- Aliyah Moore returned for the Spartans on Saturday recording a pair of kills against Syracuse.
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.
A lot to look forward to this week in the Bres! ?? pic.twitter.com/H8n77f8AzU
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 5, 2023
WHO'S UP NEXT?
Michigan State hits the road next weekend to play in the Dog Pound Challenge hosted by UConn. There, the Spartans will play a trio of matches against UConn, Brown and Binghamton, starting Friday, Sept. 15 with a 7:00 p.m. against the UConn Huskies. UConn is 2-4 this season and will face Sacred Heart, Rhode Island and Yale over the next week of action prior to meeting the Spartans. Brown is off to a 4-0 start this season with wins over Le Moyne, Rhode Island (2x) and Stonehill. Binghamton started the season 3-0, but enters the current week at 4-3 after a tough weekend at the Buffalo Invite.
