Volleyball Hosts Western Michigan for Intrastate Contest Wednesday
9/10/2024
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Coming off a 3-0 weekend at the second annual Kathy DeBoer Invitational presented by Auto-Owners Insurance, the Michigan State volleyball team looks to keep things rolling on Wednesday night when it welcomes Western Michigan to the Breslin Center for a 6:00 p.m. first serve. The Broncos are fresh off of a 31-3 (18-0 MAC) season that saw them advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament following a 3-0 sweep victory over Auburn in round one. Western Michigan Enters the weekend 3-2 in 2024 having defeated then No. 24-ranked Marquette in Milwaukee last weekend.
Wednesday night's match will stream live on B1G+ with MSU students Marin Klein and Ethan Hunter calling the action. Fans can listen in live through MSUSpartans.com or via the Michigan State Athletics app where John Kreger will call the match over the airwaves in his 20th season of MSU volleyball coverage.
It was such an honor to welcome Kathy back to campus for the 2nd year of the Kathy DeBoer Invitational presented by Auto-Owners Insurance.
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 10, 2024
The work Kathy has put in to push our sport forward will have lasting effects and we could not be more thankful for all she has done not… pic.twitter.com/uXEkmcPW1I
NOTES TO KNOW
ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Michigan comes into Wednesday night's match with a 3-2 record featuring victories over Loyola Marymount (3-1), Loyola Chicago (3-1) and Marquette (3-1). The Broncos two losses came at the hands of Clemson (3-1) and then No. 13-ranked Kansas (3-0). When WMU defeated then No. 24-ranked Marquette last weekend it marked the Broncos first victory over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 18 Ohio State in 2003.
The Broncos swept the weekly MAC volleyball awards this week with Andelyn Simkins earning Defensive Player of the Week, Keona Salesman earning Offensive Player of the week and Logan Case adding Setter of the Week accolades.
Colleen Munson is in her 20th season as head coach of Western Michigan, owning a 383-225 record in the Brown & Gold and a 435-324 career record. Since taking over, Munson has led the Broncos to 10 20+ win seasons and four NCAA tournaments.
Salesman leads the team in kills (74) hitting .280, followed by Julia Marr's 65 kills on .215 swinging. Mary Clare Brusek is hitting .333 in the middle averaging 2.95 kills/set. Simkins is No. 2 nationally in digs per set averaging 5.95, and Case has posted 11.95 assists per set to date. As a team the Broncos are No. 4 nationally in digs per set (19.00), No. 3 in attacks per set (41.37) and No. 16 in assists per set (13.37).
Western Michigan is a veteran-led team featuring one graduate student, three fifth years (Case, Salesman, Simkins) and two seniors.
A big shout out to Akasha Anderson for being named the MVP of the Kathy DeBoer Invitational presented by Auto-Owners Insurance!
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 9, 2024
Joining Akasha on the All Tournament Team are Nalani Iosia and Taylor Preston!#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/taWYe5Q2nD
SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan
- Michigan State is 23-9-1 all-time against Western Michigan with an 11-2-1 mark when facing the Broncos in East Lansing.
- The Spartans have not met Western Michigan since August 27, 2021, winning 3-0 at Jenison Field House. MSU has won eight straight against the Broncos dating back to September 3, 1994.
MSU SWEEPS HOME OPENING WEEKEND
• Michigan State opened the Breslin Center to fans for the first time in 2024-25, going 3-0 at the second annual Kathy DeBoer Invitational with wins over Western Kentucky, Marist and Loyola Chicago.
• Junior outside hitter Akasha Anderson was named Tournament MVP, while junior outside hitter Taylor Preston and fifth year libero Nalani Iosia joined her on the All-Tournament Team.
• Anderson led Michigan State with 39 kills over the weekend, hitting .258 along with 19 digs, nine blocks and five service aces. On Friday night Anderson's 14 kill, 11 dig performance helped the Spartans to a 3-1 victory over receiving votes Western Kentucky.
• Iosia averaged 5.09 digs per set over three matches and was third on the team with 19 assists.
• Preston added 31 kills on .254 hitting, leading the team with six service aces and chipping in six blocks.
Capped off a great 3-0 weekend of volleyball with a win over Loyola Chicago this afternoon! #GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/NZR4eyO6qW
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 8, 2024
IOSIA NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Fifth year libero Nalani Iosia was named B1G Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 9.
• Last week Iosia led MSU with 56 digs on 5.09 digs per set.
• Iosia posted 25 digs in Michigan State's 3-1 victory over receiving votes Western Kentucky on Friday night.
• Iosia becomes just the fourth Spartan all-time to earn two B1G defensive weekly honors in a career joining Allyson Karaba (2007-10), Alexis Mathews (2009-13) and two-time B1G Defensive Player of the Year Kori Moster (2011-14).
• Iosia crossed the 1,000 dig threshold in her Spartan career last weekend against Western Kentucky.
• Iosia last earned B1G Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 5, 2023 after her performance at the 2023 Kathy DeBoer Invitational.
For the second time in her career, Nalani Iosia has been named @B1GVolleyball Defensive Player of the Week!
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 9, 2024
Iosia becomes the fourth Spartan all-time to earn two B1G defensive weekly honors in a career joining Allyson Karaba, Alexis Mathews and Kori Moster.#GoGreen |… pic.twitter.com/F3yBA3U0tW
We were firing on all cylinders in yesterday’s win over Marist ????#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/12SVuY9Kkz
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 8, 2024
BIG BENCH ENERGY
• Michigan State got gritty performances off the bench out of senior outside hitter Grace Kelly and junior middle blocker Nil Okur last weekend.
• Kelly entered the match against Western Kentucky in set four and immediately found three kills to hit 1.000 (3-0-3). Her final kill tied the set at 18-18 as part of an 8-2 run.
• Okur played in sets three and four against Loyola Chicago on Sunday, hitting .800 (8-0-10) and chipping in four blocks (2.00 per set).
SPARTAN DEBUTS
• Senior middle blocker Kaya Hood and freshman middle blocker Carmen Waye each made their Michigan State on-court debuts last weekend.
• Waye tallied two kills and four blocks against Marist on Saturday, while Hood added a dig against the Red Foxes.
There’s really nothing like getting the win in front of your home crowd ??#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/uzyDsqUrxW
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 7, 2024
SPARTANS MAKING AN IMPACT
• This season Michigan State volleyball has partnered with Team IMPACT, which matches collegiate sports teams with children facing serious illness or disability to create a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone involved.
• MSU is matched with Taytum, a nine-year-old from Mason, Mich. with down syndrome.
• Taytum will be around the Spartans all season long, attending games, practices and team events, making a significant impact on the program.
PLAYER NOT A PIECE
• Since 2023, MSU volleyball is partnered with renowned mindset and peak performance coach Seth Makowsky, adding another wrinkle to the program's mental training regimen.
• Makowsky uses chess as a vehicle to help top performers throughout the world get better at what they do, with his client list including NFL quarterbacks, MVP baseball players, Olympians, Fortune 500 CEO's and NCAA champions.
• Makowsky's training is geared towards transforming how athletes think and make decisions in real time, helping the team make quicker decisions, implement game plan and in-game adjustments faster and communicate in match under pressure.
A lot of things happening in the Breslin Center this fall! We hope to see you at one of our matches this season! #GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/E15xJ6G4Sz
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) August 22, 2024
