Michigan State volleyball hits the road for the first Big Ten away trip of the season this weekend, with a pair of late-night tests in Los Angeles. The Spartans face UCLA on Friday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m.
ET at Pauley Pavilion, then turn around to meet USC on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. ET at the Galen Center.
Both matches will stream on B1G+.
MSU arrives at 11-1 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play after a split to open conference action at home last week. The Spartans dropped a four-set match to Washington on Sept. 25, then answered with an upset of then-No.
14 Penn State in four sets on Sept. 27.
That victory over Penn State was Michigan State’s first top-15 win since beating the Nittany Lions in East Lansing on Oct. 28, 2023.
The Spartans are also still getting national notice. They are receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll for the third straight week and the fourth time overall this season.
Before landing in the preseason poll, Michigan State had not received votes in the national rankings since the 2018 season. This week, the Spartans were the first team outside the top 25 with 139 points, just behind 25th-ranked North Carolina, which had 165.
A few familiar names powered the weekend. Senior outside hitter Alanna Bankston led MSU in kills, putting down 14 against Washington and adding eight against Penn State. She also had a career-high 11 digs in the win over the Nittany Lions, and her 14 kills against Washington marked her eighth match of the season with double-digit kills.
Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews gave Michigan State a big lift as well. She led the team with 3.33 kills per set across the two matches and turned in a career and team-high 13 kills against Penn State in her first career start.
Andrews also chipped in a career-best nine digs, falling just short of a double-double. Junior opposite Hayley Ogden matched Andrews with 13 kills against Penn State and did it on a .400 clip.
Michigan State’s middle blockers were active at the net, too. Carmen Waye and Zora Hardison combined for nine and seven total blocks, respectively, over the weekend.
Waye had a team-high six blocks, including three solo stuffs, against Penn State. Hardison added a season-high 10 kills in the win over Penn State while hitting .562.
Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long directed the offense with 66 assists across the two matches, including 40 against Penn State. She also posted a season-high 11 digs against the Nittany Lions for her first double-double of the season.
Senior libero Lia Schneider continued to fill up the stat sheet defensively, ranking fifth in the conference last week with 4.13 digs per set. She had a team-best 12 digs against Washington and followed that with a season-high 21 against Penn State. Schneider has now reached double figures in digs in five of Michigan State’s last seven matches.
UCLA enters Friday at 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten after losing in straight sets to then-No. 18 Indiana and sweeping Northwestern to begin league play on the road last week.
The matchup with Michigan State will be just the Bruins’ second home match of 2026 and their first since Aug. 29 against Long Beach State. UCLA is also receiving votes in the AVCA Poll.
The Bruins hold the all-time series edge at 6-1, including a 4-1 mark in Pauley Pavilion. Michigan State’s only win in the series came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles in 2012, when the Spartans upset the defending national champion Bruins to reach the Sweet 16 during Kristen Kelsay's junior season. The teams met again last season in East Lansing, where UCLA won in five sets.
Matt Werle is in his first season as UCLA’s head coach.
USC also opened Big Ten play with a split on the road, sweeping Northwestern before falling to Illinois in straight sets. The Trojans are 7-5 overall and are receiving votes in the AVCA Poll after slipping out of the top 25 this week.
USC owns the all-time series, 8-2, and has a 2-1 record against MSU in Los Angeles. The Trojans swept the Spartans in East Lansing last season, while Michigan State’s most recent win in the series came in a reverse sweep at the Galen Center during the 2024 season.
Brad Keller is in his seventh season as USC’s head coach.
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For Michigan State, the timing is especially tricky because the backfield picture has shifted so suddenly, forcing the staff to reshuffle around Edwards absence. Wisconsins recent surge adds another test, and both coaches have acknowledged the stakes of where each team stands entering the matchup. The Spartans are trying to steady an offense under pressure, while the Badgers are leaning into a strong response after a dramatic victory that changed the tone around their season. [Read more 🡒]