Maryland, Iowa Next Up for Spartan Volleyball - Michigan State University Athletics (2024)

Maryland, Iowa Next Up for Spartan Volleyball - Michigan State University Athletics (1)

Brittney Kimball

11/1/2023 2:24:00 PM

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State volleyball plays a pair of important B1G matches in the Breslin Center this weekend, welcoming Maryland and Iowa to East Lansing. The Spartans take on Maryland at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3 before meeting Iowa at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Friday night is the team's ‘My #1 Fan Match’ which encourages fans to bring their #1 fan along with them to the match. The first 200 fans will receive an MSU Foam Finger. Saturday night's match is Military Appreciation night.

Both of this weekend's matches will stream live on B1G+. Fans can also listen in live via MSUSpartans.com where John Kreger has the call over the Spartan Media Network.

MICHIGAN STATE MATCH NOTES

NOTES TO KNOW

ABOUT MARYLAND

Maryland is 15-9 overall and 5-7 in conference action, winning two of its last three matches (both over Iowa).

The Terrapins rank No. 159 nationally in aces per set (1.53), No. 206 in assists per set (11.08), No. 298 in digs per set (12.54), No. 126 in team hitting percentage (.219), No. 177 in kills per set (12.28) and No. 138 in opponent hitting percentage (.200).

Maryland is one of the better blocking teams that MSU has faced this season ranking No. 39 nationally with 2.52 blocks per set, which ranks No. 5 in the B1G.

Eva Rohrbach (1.17 blocks/set) and Anastasia Russ (1.16 blocks/set) pace the Terps in blocking. Both hit with efficiency as well with Russ posting 147 kills on .368 hitting and Rohrbach hitting .334 with 138 kills.

Sam Csire leads the team in kills with 229, hitting .165. Sydney Dowler is a strong blocking setter with 65 total blocks and 9.12 assists/set this season. Lilly Gunter leads Maryland in digs with 317 on 3.64 digs/set.

ABOUT IOWA

Iowa is 8-16 overall and 0-12 in B1G play, taking a pair of sets off of Rutgers in a loss last weekend.

The Hawkeyes ranks No. 111 nationally in aces per set (1.63), No. 228 in assists per set (10.97), No. 224 in blocks per set (1.87), No. 117 in digs per set (14.76), No. 212 in team hitting percentage (.196), No. 228 in kills per set (11.87) and No. 297 in opponent hitting percentage (.241).

Michelle Urquhart ranks No. 36 nationally in aces per set at .46, which also ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten. Urquhart ranks No. 38 in total aces with 39.

Caitlan Buettner is No. 50 nationally in attacks per set at 10.64. Buettner leads the Hawkeyes with 271 kills on .180 hitting. Nataly Moravec is second on the team in kills with 228 hitting .183.

Anna Davis leads Iowa in blocks with 70, followed by Delaney McSweeney's 68. Sydney Dennis is the leader in digs with 336 on 4.15 digs per set.

Iowa runs a 6-2 offense with Bailey Ortega at 5.52 assists per set and Kala Mateo at 4.59 digs per set.

SERIES HISTORY

Maryland

- Michigan State is 14-3 against Maryland all-time and is 5-1 when playing the Terrapins in East Lansing.

- The teams have been evenly matched as of recent, with the series split 3-3 over the last six contests.

- MSU defeated Maryland on the road in five sets last season, winning (25-18, 15-25, 25-19, 16-25, 15-8). The Spartans trailed 8-5 in set five before rattling off 10 consecutive points for the victory. Aliyah Moore had a match-high 19 kills and Julia Bishop posted 44 assists. Nalani Iosia led with 18 digs and Nil Okur had four blocks.

Iowa

- Michigan State is 53-29 against Iowa all-time and 23-15 when facing the Hawkeyes in East Lansing.

- The two sides have split the last six meetings, 3-3.

- MSU got the best of Iowa earlier this season in Iowa City, winning 3-1 (23-25, 25-13, 30-28, 25- 23). After dropping set one, MSU stormed back to take the next three frames. Taylah Holdem had 22 kills and Grace Kelly added 19. Nalani Iosia had a career-high 27 digs and Amani McArthur finished with six blocks. Julia Bishop (26 assists) and Rachel Muisenga (23 assists) ran the offense.

MSU TAKES DOWN #13 PENN STATE

Michigan State defeated No. 13-ranked Penn State last weekend in a five-set thriller (25-19, 11-25, 16-25, 25-18, 18-16).
It snaps a 13-match losing streak against the Nittany Lions that dated back to Nov. 2, 2013.
It was Michigan State's first victory over Penn State at home since Nov. 1, 2002.
MSU earns its first home ranked victory since Oct. 7, 2017.
It's the highest ranked win of head coach Leah Johnson's career.

LAST WEEK IN SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL

Michigan State split a pair of B1G contests last week falling to No. 2 Wisconsin (3-0) and defeating No. 13 Penn State (3-2).
MSU's loss to Wisconsin was the first time the Spartans had been swept in B1G play this season. The longest streak of avoiding a sweep in conference since 2017.
MSU moves to 6-6 in B1G action to tie for the most in-conference wins by the program since 2019.
Aliyah Moore led the Spartans with 18 kills last week while Evie Doezema added 17 on .268 hitting, both from the right side.

LAST WEEK IN SPARTAN VOLLEYBALL

Taylah Holdem finished with 16 kills, leading MSU in kills against Penn State with 14. Holdem also had 13 digs and all three of MSU's service aces last week.
Nalani Iosia posted 25 total digs on 3.13 digs per set to lead the Spartans.
Zuzanna Kulig averaged a block per set, leading MSU with six total blocks over the weekend.
Julia Bishop had a team-high 44 assists on 5.50 assists/set, while Rachel Muisenga added 32 assists as the Spartans continue to run a 6-2 system.

Spooky season ?? pic.twitter.com/FSjiwIdMC8
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) October 31, 2023

HOLDEM AMONG BEST IN B1G

In B1G play, Holdem ranks No. 10 in kills per set (3.44) and No. 8 in points per set (3.92).
Holdem leads all B1G freshmen hitters in points per set.
Holdem ranks No. 10 in the B1G in kills per set (3.32) and No. 10 in points per set (3.77) in the season-long leaderboard.
Holdem had a season-high and career-best 25 kills against Northwestern on 9/29, the most single match kills by an MSU freshman since 1998 (Erin Hartley, 28).
If the season ended today, Holdem's 3.32 kills per set would rank third all-time by an MSU freshman behind Veronica Morales (5.06) and Jenna Wrobel (4.59).

B1G STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Nalani Iosia ranks No. 3 in the B1G in digs (358) and is No. 5 in digs per set (4.11).
Amani McArthur is No. 10 in the conference in hitting at .343. In B1G action, McArthur ranks No. 10 in blocks per set at 1.12.
Taylah Holdem in No. 10 in kills per set (3.32) and No. 9 in points per set (3.77). Holdem is No. 8 in points per set in B1G play at 3.92.
Jayhlin Swain is No. 5 in aces per set at 0.35.
Michigan State ranks No. 5 in opponent hitting percentage in the B1G at .186 and is No. 9 in hitting percentage at .221.