Volleyball Hosts #13 Oregon, Maryland
11/20/2024
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State volleyball is back at home this weekend for a pair of B1G matches, taking on No. 13-ranked Oregon on Thursday, November 21 at 6 PM, and Maryland on Saturday, November 23 at 1 PM.
Both matches will be streamed live on B1G+. Fans can tune into John Kreger's call of the action on MSUSpartans.com or via the Michigan State Athletics app for both of this week's matches.
A sweep on the road to cap off a 2-0 weekend ??#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/UsGxQ98lBO
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 18, 2024
NOTES TO KNOW
SERIES HISTORY
#13 Oregon
- This is the third-ever meeting between Michigan State and Oregon, with the series even at 1-1.
- The Spartans are 1-0 at home, taking down the No. 12 Ducks on Sept. 8, 2013 (3-1) in the first match of a home and home series with Oregon and Oregon State in 2013 and 2014.
- Lauren Wicinski had 17 kills for MSU while Alexis Mathews had a career-best 15. Kori Moster added 22 digs with Kristen Kelsay's 36 assists. Ariana Williams had 16 kills for Oregon on .625 hitting along with Amanda Benson's 20 digs.
Maryland
- Michigan State is 15-4 all-time against Maryland after falling to the Terps (3-1) earlier this season in College Park.
- MSU is 6-1 at home against Maryland, winning 3-0 at the Breslin Center last season.
- Amani McArthur had 8 kills on .412 hitting along with six blocks in that meeting, while Taylah Holdem posted a double-double (10 kills, 10 digs).
IOSIA B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior libero Nalani Iosia was named B1G Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 18.
It's Iosia's second DPOTW honor this season making her the second Spartan to ever earn two DPOTW awards in the same season (Alyssa Garvelink, 2016).
It's also the third career DPOTW award for Iosia marking her as the first Spartan in program history to earn three weekly defensive honors in a career.
The B1G started awarding a DPOTW in 2005.
Last week Iosia posted 5.00 digs/set as the Spartans held opponents to .073 hitting.
Iowa hit -.020 against the Spartans last Sunday, marking the first time a B1G opponent has hit sub-zero against MSU since 2019 (Rutgers, -.012).
Iowa's -.020 is the lowest hitting mark by a B1G opponent against Michigan State since 2014 (Indiana, -.075).
The first three-time B1G Defensive Player of the Week in PROGRAM HISTORY!
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 18, 2024
Nalani posted 5.00 digs/set last week and the Spartans held their opponents to .073 hitting!
??: https://t.co/yqzl6nKbDt#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/68liueQehe
IN THE B1G RANKINGS
Nalani Iosia is #1 in digs/set in the B1G at 4.49 and ranks #1 in total digs with 445.
Iosia is #1 in B1G only matches with 4.54 digs/set on 268 total digs.
Last week Iosia ranked #2 in digs/set with 5.00 on 35 total digs.
Zuzanna Kulig ranks #3 in the B1G in blocks thus far at 1.44 blocks/set, only behind Purdue's Raven Colvin (1.57) and Minnesota Phoebe Awoleye (1.48).
Kulig's total blocks (137) rank third in the conference behind Colvin's 149 and Awoleye's 138, and her solo blocks (24) lead the league.
In B1G only matches Kulig ranks #3 in blocks/set with 1.41.
Kulig is #10 in the B1G in overall season hitting at .347 (127-24-297).
Evie Doezema was #2 in the B1G in blocks/set last week at 1.71, while Akasha Anderson and Kulig tied for #6 at 1.43.
Michigan State led the B1G in opponent hitting percentage last week at .073 and was #3 in blocks (3.21/set) and aces (2.00/set).
LAST ONE, BEST ONE
Fifth-year libero Nalani Iosia saved her best for last, averaging a career-high 4.49 digs per set. Her previous career-high was 4.16 in 2023.
Iosia posted a career-best 34 digs against Ohio State on Nov. 3, the most digs by a B1G libero this season. It's the most digs by an MSU player ever in a four set match and the third-most digs in a match at MSU all time.
If the season ended today, Iosia's 4.49 digs/set would rank No. 6 in the program history book for a single season.
Iosia's 4.21 career digs/set at MSU is good for third all-time in the Green & White.
Iosia is No. 5 in career digs at MSU and now has 1,395 in a Spartan jersey. Jamye Cox is No. 4 with 1,424 career digs.
Iosia ranks No. 26 in active career dig leaders among all DI players with 1,914.
Iosia is one the most experienced players in DI ranking No. 1 in matches played (147) and No. 14 in sets played (524).
Iosia is the career digs leader among active B1G players that have played at least one season in the conference (1,949).
Iosia ranked fifth in the B1G last season in digs/set at 4.16.
Iosia was an AVCA All-North Region honorable mention following the conclusion of the 2023 season, the first Spartan to earn a regional honor since 2017 and the first libero since 2014.
Iosia's 483 digs last season ranked No. 8 all-time for a single season at MSU.
KASH MONEY
Over her last 10 matches junior right side hitter Akasha Anderson leads MSU with 4.00 kills/set and 4.46 points/set on .263 hitting.
Anderson has posted 10 or more kills in seven of her last eight matches, with a career-high tying 26 kills in a win over #16 USC and 24 kills in a four set match against Ohio State on Nov. 3.
Anderson tallied a career-best 30.5 total points against USC.
Anderson hit a whopping .500 on 24 attempts against Michigan on Nov. 15 with 15 kills and just three errors.
Anderson is much improved as a blocker this season averaging a career-best 0.61 blocks/set and 0.69 blocks/set since moving to the right side.
KULIG AS A CUCUMBER
Sophomore middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig inserted herself into the conversation as one of the best in the country.
Kulig ranks No. 13 nationally and No. 3 in the B1G in blocks per set (1.44).
Kulig's 137 total blocks rank No. 20 nationally and No. 3 in the B1G.
Kulig posted a new career-high 12 blocks against Illinois on Oct. 12, 2024.
12 blocks in a match is the fourth-most single match blocks in program history and was last accomplished by Alexis Mathews on Nov. 24, 2010 against Michigan.
Kulig's 1.44 blocks/set would rank No. 7 in program history for a single season. No Spartan has posted 1.40 blocks/set since 2016 (Alyssa Garvelink, 1.40).
Kulig's current career 1.26 blocks/set would rank No. 3 in program history.
So… about last night ??#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/9rbG5LfYCn
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 16, 2024
Michigan State head volleyball coach Leah Johnson announced the third signing class of her tenure last week on National Signing Day. The Spartans covered all of their bases in the Class of 2025 signing a setter, libero, middle blocker and outside hitter. MSU once again tapped into its overseas contacts with the additions of setter Kalea Norton (Auckland, New Zealand) and outside hitter Caroline Formankova (Slany, Czech Republic), in addition to domestic signees libero Olivia Durst (Brookfield, Wis.) and middle blocker Leela Ormsby (Billings, Mont.).
New Zealand ?? East Lansing
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 13, 2024
Kalea Norton is a Spartan! A true competitor, we cannot wait to see Kalea step in to the Big Ten Conference! #GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/3sKo0hez2Z
A defensive burst from Durst!
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 13, 2024
No stranger to winning at the highest levels, we are so excited to get Olivia in the gym. #GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/tXSbnZNquG
Montana’s all-time block record holder is officially a Spartan!
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 13, 2024
Welcome home, Leela!#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/7CLrpXZNYA
Strong. Fiery. Powerful.
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) November 14, 2024
3 words that coach Johnson has used to describe the final piece of our 2025 Spartans puzzle!
Welcome home, Caroline!#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/5PjoFHwdK9
Plenty more is happening in Breslin this month! We're excited to be back playing in front of you all! #GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/z7J2xUgX14
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) October 31, 2024
