EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State volleyball returns home this weekend hosting No. 15-ranked Minnesota on Friday night and Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. First serve between the Spartans and the Golden Gophers is set for 6:00 p.m. inside the Breslin Center, with Sunday's match against the Buckeyes starting at 12:00 p.m.
Both matches will stream live on B1G+. Fans can listen in via the Spartan Media Network for both matches where John Kreger will call the action in his 20th season of coverage.
ABOUT #15 MINNESOTA
Led by second-year head coach Keegan Cook, No. 15-ranked Minnesota arrives in East Lansing with a record of 14-6 (7-3 B1G). The Golden Gophers are ranked No. 30 in the latest NCAA RPI with quad one victories over Texas and Wisconsin. All six of Minnesota's losses have come to Top 25 RPI teams, including USC.
Minnesota ranks No. 12 nationally in blocks/set (2.79), No. 37 in opponent hitting percentage (.172), No. 5 in hitting percentage (.245), No. 96 in digs/set (15.25), No. 167 in kills/set (12.56), No. 194 in aces/set (1.47) and No. 210 in assists/set (11.30).
Middle blocker Phoebe Awoleye ranks No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in the B1G in blocks/set at 1.56 and her 112 total blocks is No. 13 nationally and No. 3 in the B1G. Julia Hanson leads the team in kills/set at 3.56 and is the reigning B1G Player of the Week. Setter Melani Shaffmaster is posting 8.78 assists/set and libero Zeynep Palabiyik averages 3.79 digs/set.
SERIES HISTORY
#15 Minnesota- Michigan State is 19-62 all-time against Minnesota and 11-28 when facing the Golden Gophers in East Lansing.
- Minnesota has won nine straight over the Green & White dating back to 2018, with MSU's last victory coming in 2017 (3-0).
- In 2017, the Spartans took down then No. 1-ranked Minnesota in Minneapolis in the same weekend that they first defeated then No. 5-ranked Wisconsin in Madison.
ABOUT OHIO STATE
Led by fifth-year head coach Jen Flynn-Oldenburg, Ohio State enters the weekend with a record of 8-12 (1-9 B1G). The Buckeyes are ranked No. 86 in the latest NCAA RPI with two quad two victories over Northern Iowa and Miami (Fla.).
Ohio State ranks No. 58 nationally in blocks/set (2.44), No. 157 in assists/set (11.67), No. 162 in aces/set (1.53), No. 178 in opponent hitting percentage (.206), No. 187 in kills/set (12.41), No. 197 in hitting percentage (.200) and No. 228 in digs/set (13.78).
Emily Londot ranks No. 9 nationally and No. 1 in the B1G in attacks/set (12.01), No. 10/1 in points (417.5), No. 10/1 in kills/set (4.59), No. 11/1 in points/set (5.35), No. 13 in total kills (358).
Setter Mia Tuman leads Ohio State with 652 assists at 9.73 assists/set, libero Olivia Hasbrook averages 3.85 digs/set and middle blocker Eloise Brandewie averages 1.13 blocks/set.
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State- Michigan State is 33-53 all-time against Ohio State and 20-21 when facing the Buckeyes in East Lansing.
- Ohio State has won six straight over the Green & White dating back to 2021, with MSU's last victory coming in 2019.
- The Spartans won 7 of 10 meetings against OSU from 2013 through 2019, winning by a combined 23-9.
IN THE B1G RANKINGS
Nalani Iosia is #2 in digs/set in the B1G at 4.26 and ranks #2 in total digs with 328.Iosia is #2 in B1G only matches with 4.08 digs/ set on 151 total digs.
Zuzanna Kulig ranks #3 in the B1G in blocks thus far at 1.45 blocks/set, only behind Purdue's Raven Colvin (1.59) and Minnesota Phoebe Awoleye (1.56).
Kulig's total blocks (106) rank third in the conference behind Colvin's 121 and Awoleye's 112, and her solo blocks (18) are tied for first with Colvin (18).
In B1G only matches Kulig ranks #4 in blocks/ set with 1.41.
Kulig is #9 in the B1G in overall season hitting at .361 (100-18-227).
Last week, Kulig ranked #7 in the B1G in hitting percentage hitting .400 for the week (11-1-25).
Last week, Akasha Anderson was #4 in the B1G in kills/set (4.75) and #5 in points/set (5.50).
Serve specialist Ky Clayton ranked #6 last week in aces/set (.50) following a four ace weekend.
LAST ONE BEST ONE
Fifth-year libero Nalani Iosia saved her best for last, averaging a career-high 4.26 digs per set. Her previous career-high was 4.16 set in 2023.
If the season ended today, Iosia's 4.26 digs/set would rank No. 8 in the program history book for a single season.
Iosia moved into No. 7 in career digs at MSU and now has 1,278 in a Spartan jersey. Becky Belanger is No. 6 all-time with 1,293 career digs.
Iosia ranks No. 26 in active career dig leaders among all DI players with 1,815.
Iosia is second in the B1G in digs per set (4.26) and total digs (328).
Iosia entered the season ranked second in the B1G in career digs among active players with 1,504 (now 1,832).
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.
Iosia matched her career-high of 27 digs against Washington on Oct. 20, 2024.
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. 12 nationally and No. 3 in the B1G in blocks per set (1.45).
Kulig's 106 total blocks rank No. 23 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 1.45 blocks/set would rank No. 6 in program history for a single season. No Spartan has posted 1.50 blocks/set since 2001 (Angela Morley (1.55).
Kulig's current career 1.24 blocks/set would rank No. 5 in program history.
KASH MONEY
Over her last four matches junior outside hitter Akasha Anderson leads MSU with 4.33 kills/set and 4.90 points/set on .278 hitting.
Last weekend in MSU's upset over #16 USC, Anderson tied her career-high in kills with 26 while adding a season-best 13 digs and five blocks.
It was a career-best, 30.5 total points tallied for Anderson against the Women of Troy.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
