Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics:
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball is excited to host open its home schedule this weekend, hosting the inaugural Kathy DeBoer Invitational presented by Auto Owners Insurance inside the Breslin Student Events Center on September 2-3.
Belmont, Syracuse and Delaware State await the Spartans this weekend as play gets started at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 2 with MSU meeting Belmont. The Spartans return to the floor for a 7:00 p.m. match against Syracuse on Saturday night, where DeBoer will be honored prior to first serve. Michigan State wraps up the event with a 1:00 p.m. match against Delaware State on Sunday, September 3.
The weekend will also feature a trio of neutral site matches that includes Syracuse vs. Delaware State, Belmont vs. Delaware State and Syracuse vs. Belmont.
WHO'S UP NEXT?
Follow along live with the Spartans this weekend. All times listed in ET.
Sep 2, 2023 at 10:00 am
Volleyball vs
Belmont
Sep 2, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Volleyball vs
Syracuse
Sep 3, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Volleyball vs
Delaware State
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
With several construction projects on campus this fall, Spartan athletics is asking fans to allow extra time to arrive at the Breslin Center. $5 parking is available at Lot 63 and Ramp 7. Handicapped parking is available in Lot 126 ($5 paid upon entrance).
Gilbert Pavilion and the Northeast Kalamazoo gates will open one hour prior to match time.
ABOUT BELMONT
Belmont starts the season off 1-3, defeating Youngstown State (3-1), but falling to Saint Francis (3-2) and Canisius (3-0) and the YSU Invitational last weekend. They were then swept by No. 22 Western Kentucky on Tuesday. The Bruins were 8-23 last season with a 4-14 record in The Valley.Belmont returns a majority of its starters from a year ago, including its top four in kills, four of its top five in digs and its top two in digs. Outside Hitter Emily Warmenhoven missed most of 2022 with injury but is back and leads Belmont in kills with 32 through four matches hitting .132. Kamryn Olson and Izzy Schauer share the setting duties for the Bruins as last season's assist leader departed. Schauer led the team in assists in 2021 and Olson is a transfer from Central Michigan and played in a four set loss to the Spartans on Sept. 18, 2021. Libero Rachel McBride returns as the 2022 digs leader (451). Kristen Clemons and Sydney Willis each posted 90+ total blocks for the Bruins last season.
The Bruins have shaken up their lineup throughout the first four games of the season with 11 different starters.
ABOUT SYRACUSE
Syracuse opened its season 0-3 losing to Navy (3-0), UAlbany (3-0) and UCF (3-0) at the UAlbany Invitational last weekend. The Orange went 11-17 overall and 7-11 in ACC play last season.Syracuse hit just .025 in its opening weekend and was led in hitting my Ariana Joubert (17 kills) and Zharia Harris-Waddy (16 kills). Harris-Waddy hit a team-best .294 last weekend.
The Orange are in a rebuilding year after losing their top three in kills and their top two in assists from 2022. Now an assistant coach, Polina Shemanova led the team in kills and digs last year and was second in blocks. Raina Hughes led Syracuse in blocks with 110 last season, but played in just one set against Navy last weekend.
Libero Alyssa Bert returns after ranking second on the team in digs last season. Freshman Veronica Sierzant has taken over the setting duties for the Orange. Laila Smith tied for the team-high in blocks last weekend (4) after transferring from Alabama.
ABOUT DELAWARE STATE
Delaware State had a strong start to its season going 2-1 at the Hofstra Invitational last weekend, defeating NJIT (3-0) and Siena (3-1) before dropping the final match of the weekend to Hofstra (3-1). The Hornets were 24-7 last season and won the MEAC Tournament to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. It was Delaware State's first MEAC Championship since 1986,Head Coach David Brooks is in his first season with the program after two successful seasons at NCAA DII Elizabeth City State University where he was twice named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year.
Alondra Maldonado returns for Delaware State after leading the team in kills in 2022. She leads the team with 42 hitting .250. Valeria Otero was third on the team in kills in 2022 and was second on the team with 21 at the Hofstra Invitational. Otero was also second on the team in digs last season. Kelsie Dawson was second on the team in blocks last season with 99 and had seven for the Hornets last weekend. DSU used a plethora of setters last weekend with three players recording 25+ assists.
SERIES HISTORY
Belmont- Michigan State leads, 1-0
- MSU defeated Belmont, 3-1, at the Tennessee
Classic on August 25, 2018. Jamye Cox posted the 8th most single-match digs in program history with 29 against the Bruins.
Syracuse
- Michigan State leads, 2-1
- This will be the first meeting since September 4, 2009, a 3-2 win for the Spartans at the Cleveland State Invitational. MSU has won two straight including a 3-0 sweep on September 5, 2008 at the
Delaware Invitational.
Delaware State
- Michigan State leads, 1-0
- The Spartans swept Delaware State on September 8, 2007 at the Harvard Invitational.
DEBOER IS DEBEST
- Michigan State will continue to honor Kathy DeBoer's career and service to the sport of volleyball in 2023. DeBoer was a dual-sport star at MSU on the women's basketball and volleyball teams.
- After being named to the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022, the Spartans named their in-season tournament after DeBoer, with 2023 serving as the inaugural Kathy DeBoer Invitational presented by Auto-Owners Insurance.
- DeBoer long served as the Executive Director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association before retiring from her post in 2023.
- Arriving on campus in 1975, DeBoer captured two Big Ten titles with the volleyball program in 1975 and 1976. On the basketball court she was a finalist for the Wade Trophy in 1978 and ranks No. 4 all-time in career rebounding average.
- After graduation, DeBoer went on to coach collegiate volleyball at Ferris State and Kentucky, winning four SEC titles and earning both SEC and National Coach of the Year honors before taking her position with the AVCA.
BACK IN THE BRES
- The Breslin Center became MSU's full-time competition venue in 2022, immediately making it one of the nicest venues in college volleyball.
- In 2023, the Breslin Center will boast an upgraded sound system and a new center-hung video board.
- Michigan State set its highest average home attendance record in 2022, with 3,208 fans on average per home match.
- The Spartans also set a new single-game attendance record with the 'Battle at Breslin' stuffing 7,326 fans into the stands.
- 2022 marking MSU's seventh consecutive season ranking in the Top 10 in average home attendance throughout NCAA DI. It was the third straight season of a Top 10 finish in cumulative home attendance.
- Michigan State is 14-10 all-time in the Breslin Center and went 8-8 at home in 2022.
- MSU played eight previous matches in the Bres, with two in 1995 (vs. Indiana/Illinois), two in 2008 (vs. Ohio St./Michigan), one in 2009 (vs. Michigan) and three in 2010 (vs. Minnesota/Iowa/Michigan).
