EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State volleyball hits the road for a pair of B1G matches this week, first heading to College Park, Maryland for an 8:00 p.m. match at Maryland on Thursday, November 7 before meeting Rutgers at 7:00 p.m. in Piscataway, N.J. the next night on Friday, November 8. Both matches will stream live on B1G+.
ABOUT MARYLAND
Led by seventh year head coach Adam Hughes, Maryland enters the week with a record of 10-13 (1-11 B1G) with a B1G victory over Rutgers. The Terrapins have lost eight straight.Nationally, Maryland ranks No. 8 in aces per set (2.05) led by Samantha Schnitta who is the nation's leader with 0.74 aces/set and 61 total aces this season. The Terps also rank No. 128 in hitting percentage (.218), No. 168 in blocks/set (2.08), No. 227 in opponent hitting percentage (.219), No. 232 in kills/set (12.08), No. 259 in assists/set (10.93) and No. 288 in digs/set (12.99).
Schnitta also ranks tenth in the B1G with 4.30 points/set and is eighth with 353 total points this season on .220 hitting. Middle blocker's Eva Rohrbach and Anastasia Russ are hitting .305 and .337 respectively. Russ leads the team in blocking with 1.02 blocks/set. Libero Lilly Gunter is posting 3.25 digs/set this season. The offense runs through Sydney Dowler (5.59 assists/set) and Zoe Huang (5.02 assists/set).
SERIES HISTORY
Maryland- Michigan State is 15-3 all-time against Maryland dating back to 1976. The Spartans are 7-2 when facing the Terps in College Park.
- MSU has won back-to-back matches over Maryland in each of the last two seasons, winning 3-0 on Nov. 3, 2023 at home and 3-2 on Sept. 30, 2022 on the road. The Spartans trailed 8-5 in set five before rattling off 10 straight points to win.
- Last season, Taylah Holdem led MSU with 10 kills, while Amani McArthur added eight with six blocks. Nalani Iosia posted a team-high 17 digs in the sweep.
ABOUT RUTGERS
Led by fifth-year head coach Caitlin Schweihofer, Rutgers is 5-18 (0-12 B1G) this season. Nationally, the Scarlet Knights rank No. 98 in blocks/set (2.27), No. 179 in aces/set (1.50), No. 255 in hitting percentage (.180), No. 284 in assists/set (10.47), No. 293 in kills/set (11.14), No. 308 in opponent hitting percentage (.244) and No. 326 in digs/set (11.85).Natalie Robinson is among the better blockers in the B1G with 1.31 blocks/set to rank fourth in the conference and No. 34 nationally. Rutgers is led offensively by Alissa Kinkela who averages 3.90 points/set and 3.28 kills/set on .222 hitting. Setter Aly Borellis averages 6.71 assists/set, and Lexi Visintine has a team-high 27 service aces. Libero Kenzie Dyrstad has posted 2.99 digs/set this season.
SERIES HISTORY
Rutgers- Michigan State is 16-3 all-time against Rutgers dating back to 2000. The Spartans are 7-1 when facing the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway.
- MSU has won three consecutive matches against the Scarlet Knights, winning 3-2 and 3-1 in matches during the 2023 season.
- The Spartans completed a reverse sweep of Rutgers on Nov. 18, 2023 (20-25, 17-25, 25-17, 25-13, 15-10).
IN THE B1G RANKINGS
Nalani Iosia is #1 in digs/set in the B1G at 4.43 and ranks #1 in total digs with 372.Iosia is #2 in B1G only matches with 4.43 digs/set on 195 total digs.
Last week Iosia ranked #1 in digs/set with 6.29 on 44 total digs.
Zuzanna Kulig ranks #3 in the B1G in blocks thus far at 1.43 blocks/set, only behind Purdue's Raven Colvin (1.52) and Minnesota Phoebe Awoleye (1.51).
Kulig's total blocks (114) rank third in the conference behind Colvin's 125 and Awoleye's 118, and her solo blocks (21) lead the league.
In B1G only matches Kulig ranks #3 in blocks/set with 1.36.
Kulig is #8 in the B1G in overall season hitting at .363 (110-19-251).
Last week, Akasha Anderson was #7 in the B1G in kills/set (4.43).
LAST ONE BEST ONE
Fifth-year libero Nalani Iosia saved her best for last, averaging a career-high 4.43 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 4.43 digs/set would rank No. 6 in the program history book for a single season.
Iosia moved into No. 6 in career digs at MSU and now has 1,322 in a Spartan jersey. Allyson Karaba is No. 5 all-time with 1,335 career digs. Jamye Cox is No. 4 with 1,424.
Iosia ranks No. 26 in active career dig leaders among all DI players with 1,876.
Iosia is one the most experienced players in DI ranking No. 1 in matches played (143) and No. 14 in sets played (509).
Iosia leads the B1G in digs per set (4.43) and total digs (372).
Iosia entered the season ranked second in the B1G in career digs among active players with 1,504 (now 1,876).
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 five matches junior outside hitter Akasha Anderson leads MSU with 4.58 kills/set and 4.97 points/set on .250 hitting.Anderson has posted 20 or more kills in two of her last five 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 last weekend.
Anderson tallied a career-best 30.5 total points against USC.
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. 17 nationally and No. 3 in the B1G in blocks per set (1.43).
Kulig's 114 total blocks rank No. 26 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 1.43 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 1.24 blocks/set would rank No. 5 in program history.
Kulig is No. 8 in the B1G in hitting % (.363).
Anderson tallied a career-best 30.5 total points against USC.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
