No. 22 Michigan State is heading into a demanding stretch with a little momentum and a lot on the line in the Big Ten grind.
The Spartans open a four-match road trip Thursday night at Illinois before turning around to face Northwestern on Saturday. MSU, sitting at 14-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play, comes in after splitting two home matches last weekend.
The Spartans dropped a four-set match to No. 13 Oregon on Oct. 9, then bounced back two days later with a 3-1 win over Iowa.
That split was enough to keep Michigan State at No. 22 in this week’s AVCA Poll, marking back-to-back weeks in the national rankings for the first time since 2017.
Thursday’s match against the Fighting Illini is set for 7 p.m. ET and will air nationally on Big Ten Network with Kelsie Kasper and Mac Podraza on the call.
Saturday’s meeting at Northwestern follows at 8 p.m. ET and will stream on B1G+.
A lot of the Spartans’ recent damage has come from the pins and the middle. Senior outside hitter Alanna Bankston delivered her team-leading 12th double-digit-kill match of the season over the weekend, finishing with a team-best 26 kills across the two matches. She had 14 against Oregon and 12 against Iowa.
Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews also made noise after getting back into the starting lineup against Oregon. She went off for a career-high 16 kills and added three service aces and two blocks in a 20-point effort.
Michigan State’s middles kept showing up in a big way, too. Zora Hardison and Carmen Waye combined for 25 total blocks last weekend, with Hardison posting 14 and Waye adding 11. Waye had a team-high six blocks against Oregon, and Hardison matched a career high with nine against Iowa while also moving past 300 career blocks.
Those numbers backed up where both players sat in the conference race last week: Hardison ranked third in blocks per set at 1.75, while Waye was eighth at 1.38. On the season, Waye is fifth in the league at 1.28 blocks per set, and Hardison is tied for eighth at 1.22.
Setting the table, redshirt sophomore Malayah Long handed out 71 assists across the two matches, averaging 8.88 per set. She posted 32 assists against Oregon and 39 more against Iowa. Long also averaged 0.50 service aces per set last week, along with Andrews and Waye, which put that trio fourth in the conference.
On the back line, senior libero Lia Schneider led MSU with 20 digs last week, good for 2.50 per set. She also came close to her first career double-double against Iowa, finishing with a career-high 10 assists and eight digs.
As a team, Michigan State led the Big Ten in service aces per set last week at 2.25, and eight different Spartans picked up at least one ace.
There’s also a personal angle to the Illinois trip for head coach Kristen Kelsay. The Wheaton, Illinois, native is heading back close to home, and her sister, McKenna, played volleyball at Illinois from 2013-16.
Illinois enters Thursday at 11-6 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play. The Illini lost to No.
7 Wisconsin and No. 16 Purdue last week, but they opened conference play with three straight wins over ranked opponents.
This matchup comes with plenty of history. Illinois leads the all-time series 59-28 and owns a 29-9 record in Champaign.
The teams last met in a five-set battle last season in Huff Hall, the third straight five-setter between the programs. Michigan State’s last win in the series came in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, when it beat Illinois to reach the Elite Eight on Dec.
8, 2017. The Spartans also haven’t won in Huff Hall since Nov. 16, 2012, during Kelsay’s junior season.
Chris Tamas is in his 10th season as Illinois’ head coach.
Northwestern, meanwhile, is 7-10 overall and still searching for its first conference win at 0-6. The Wildcats lost on the road at Penn State and Maryland last week.
Michigan State holds the edge in the all-time series, 46-38, and has won five of the last six meetings. The Spartans also beat Northwestern 3-1 in Evanston last season on Oct.
- Northwestern has a slight 20-19 advantage in matches played in Evanston.
Tim Nollan is in his third season as Northwestern’s head coach.
In Other News...
Michigan State Faces A Week 7 Test That Could Change The Mood
Michigan State heads into Week 7 with more than just another Big Ten game on the schedule, because the trip to face Northwestern comes with a handful of storylines that make it feel bigger than the usual midseason grind. Pat Fitzgerald will see his former team on the other sideline, while quarterback Aidan Chiles gets a chance to respond after the Spartans have spent much of the season trying to find steadier footing and build on the improvements they have shown at times.
Northwestern brings a rushing attack that can stress a defense and force a game into the kind of rhythm the Wildcats prefer, which is part of what makes this matchup tricky for Michigan State. The Spartans need a cleaner performance to change the mood around the program, but the preview points to a tight, lower-scoring afternoon, with Northwestern projected to handle the spread and the total staying underneath. [Read more 🡒]
Spartans Keep Controlling Michigan In Rivalry That Just Got More Heated
The latest chapter in the Michigan State-Michigan soccer rivalry had the feel of a game both sides knew might tilt the mood of the season, and it delivered enough bite to match the stakes. At DeMartin Stadium, the Spartans struck first on Leo Connehs goal before Michigan answered with Michael Ramirezs penalty kick after a VAR review, leaving the rivals locked in a 1-1 draw and the Big Bear Trophy staying in East Lansing.
It was also the kind of meeting that rarely lets either side settle in, with physical play producing plenty of fouls and yellow cards as the tension kept building from one end of the pitch to the other. For Michigan State, the result preserves its place tied atop the Big Ten standings and adds another hard-earned notch in a rivalry that has only grown hotter. [Read more 🡒]
Fredrick Moore Gave Michigan State A Needed Reason For Hope
Fredrick Moore gave Michigan State a small but meaningful lift against Illinois, and for a team looking for signs of growth anywhere it can find them, that mattered. The junior wide receiver finished with two catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, producing the Spartans only receiving score of the game while also ranking second on the team in receiving yards.
Moores performance stood out because it came in a game where Michigan State needed somebody to create a spark through the air, and he did enough to show he can be part of the answer. With the Spartans still searching for more consistency on offense, his showing offered at least one reason to think there is something to build on in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]