Match Preview: Michigan State vs. Penn State (6 Things to Know about the Spartans); Stat Joust

Sparty is MSU, but MSU is not "Sparty"
Sparty is MSU, but don’t call MSU “Sparty”

If Penn State (18-2, 7-2 in the B1G) had any doubts about how tough Michigan State (14-6, 6-3 in the B1G) will be, it only has to look at this graphic:

Capture

The Spartans took it to the #6-ranked Buckeyes in the first two sets, and held on, winning a deuce set to take the match 3-0.

So it will be a challenge for the visiting Nittany Lions, with two streaks on the line: the Spartans have won four consecutive matches (having won at Iowa on Oct. 10, and at home over Maryland (3-1), Rutgers (3-0), and Wednesday night against Ohio State), and Penn State has won three straight matches over Michigan State, dating back to September 27, 2013, when the then #15-ranked Spartans shocked then-#1 Penn State 3-2 (23-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-19, 9-15) in the 2013 Big Ten season opener at Rec Hall.

Bottom line: Michigan State is very good. Match info below:

Date
(Time)
Opp.Site
Media
10-24-15
(8:00 p.m.
ET)
jenison-volley-hdr-picEast Lansing
MI
College Sports Live Stream

Game
Tracker

6 Things to Know About the Spartans (plus 2 Bonus Things)

Rachel Minarick
Rachel Minarick

1. Rachel Minarick is Very Good.  Michigan State has alternated between a 6-2 and a 5-1 this season. 6-2 So. setter Rachel Minarick has played in all 20 matches (starting 19), averaging 8.89 assists/set — good for 11th place in the B1G.   She also is averaging 0.60 blocks/set, 2.24 digs/set, 1.18 kills/set (.288 attack %), and 0.25 service aces/set — good for 13th in the B1G.  5-10 Sr. setter Halle Peterson, who has played in 17 of 19 matches (starting 11) and 47 of 68 sets for the Spartans, has averaged 4.26 assists/set.

Following MSU’s wins over Rutgers (in which Minarick recorded her sixth double-double of the season, tied her season bests in digs (12) and blocks (4) and directed the Spartans to a season-best .425 attack %), and Maryland, (46 assists, 4 blocks and 9 digs), Minarick was named Big Ten Setter of the Week.  It was the second time she earned the award this season — the first being on September 21st, after MSU’s match against North Carolina, in which Minarick recorded the 11th triple-double in MSU history (11 kills, 25 assists and 10 digs — plus 4 service aces).  According to MSU’s SID, Minarick is the only player in the Big Ten with a triple-double this season.

Alyssa Garvelink
Alyssa Garvelink
Brook Kranda
Brook Kranda

2.  Alyssa Garvelink is also Very GoodSo is Brooke Kranda.  6-4 So. MB Alyssa Garvelink was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after totaling a combined 23 kills and hitting .588 in MSU’s wins over Maryland and Rutgers last week.  She hit .647 (12-1-17) against Rutgers and .529 (11-2-17) against Maryland.   She had another good match against Ohio State — 10 kills and .467 attack %.  6-6 So. MB/Opp Brooke Kranda, who is 12th in the B1G with 3.19 kills/set (.228 attack %) and averaging .70 blocks/set.

Allyssah Fitterer
Allyssah Fitterer

3. Allyssah Fitterer is Heating Up.  Against Maryland last week, 6-2 Jr. MB/Opp Allyssah Fitterer had her best match (statistically) since the first weekend of the season: 13 kills (.500 attack %) and 8 blocks.  She did even better against Rutgers — 6 kills and a gaudy .750 attack %.   She kept up her torrid pace against the Buckeyes, with 9 kills and a .467 attack %.  As of 10-22-15, Fitterer’s .325 attack % ranked 12th in the Big Ten, and she is averaging 2.59 kills/set and 0.79 blocks/set.

4. Chloe Reinig Shines Since Return from Injury.  Although she didn’t have a good match against Ohio State, in the matches against Maryland and Rutgers, 6-4 Jr. OH Chloe Reinig had her two best hitting performances since returning to the Spartan lineup after missing seven matches with injury. Against Maryland, she hit .346, with 4 blocks and 3 digs. Against Rutgers, she hit .375, with 7 kills.

Holly Tolliver
Holly Tolliver

5.  Good Golly Miss Holly (Tolliver) —  Killing It!  With the exception of a very good night serving (4 service aces), 6-2 So. OH Holly Toliver might want a redo for the Ohio State match.  But prior to that match she was on fire!  Against Maryland, Tolliver registered 11 kills, 10 digs and a block, and against Rutgers she totaled 9 kills (.333 attack %) with 6 digs.  And, with those 4 service aces, Toliver ranks 2nd in the B1G with 0.37 service aces/set!

6.  Backrow Demons Spartans.  5-5 So. libero Abby Monson, who was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 21st, led all players with 16 digs in the Maryland match.  Against the Buckeyes, Monson totaled 11 digs, and is averaging 3.59 digs per set (10th in the B1G).  5-7 Sr. DS Kristen Muir tallied 13 digs against Maryland 10 digs against Rutgers, while 5-2 Fr. DS Sarah Washegesic is averaging 1.42 digs/set for the season.

Bonus #1.  MSU’s 3-1 victory over Maryland last Wednesday was  Spartan head coach Cathy George’s 200th at Michigan State.  Congrats Cathy!

 

Sparty
Sparty
Not Sparty
Not Sparty

Bonus #2. We have been told, by Spartan fans, that Spartan fans don’t like other people referring to Michigan State as “Sparty.”

We’re fine with that, although we will admit, before we knew, we kind of liked the name: reminded us of feisty and jaunty.

Still, we’ve learned our lesson.  Going forward, we only use “Sparty” to refer to that feisty, jaunty guy (the one on the left, not the one on the right.)

 

 

 

 

 

800px-Jousting_at_Hever_Castle,_Kent_(5)_-_geograph_org_uk_-_1453366Stat Joust: Penn State and Michigan State

 

 

 

— as of 10-22-15 (All Opponents)

Hitting Percentage S K E TA Pct.
Penn State 69 916 276 2218 .289
Purdue 65 923 317 2178 .278
Nebraska 66 935 304 2377 .265
Michigan State 71 1016 382 2490 .255
Wisconsin 65 912 325 2323 .253
Minnesota 67 913 315 2364 .253
Ohio State 81 1130 431 2864 .244
Iowa 74 990 379 2536 .241
Illinois 66 923 355 2365 .240
Michigan 75 1021 381 2712 .236
Northwestern 64 873 348 2286 .230
Maryland 83 1036 455 2807 .207
Indiana 77 1008 481 2642 .199
Rutgers 74 865 425 2548 .173

 

Opp. Hitting Pct. S K E TA Pct.
Penn State 69 790 454 2368 .142
Ohio State 81 900 463 2807 .156
Purdue 65 734 382 2213 .159
Minnesota 67 797 408 2392 .163
Nebraska 66 779 377 2396 .168
Wisconsin 65 786 384 2343 .172
Michigan State 71 817 394 2392 .177
Illinois 66 804 380 2357 .180
Northwestern 64 751 336 2197 .189
Michigan 75 970 437 2733 .195
Indiana 77 850 357 2379 .207
Iowa 74 944 382 2518 .223
Maryland 83 1058 417 2658 .241
Rutgers 74 1040 320 2563 .281

 

Blocks S BS BA Total Avg./S
Penn State 69 55 332 221.0 3.20
Minnesota 67 35 310 190.0 2.84
Wisconsin 65 18 317 176.5 2.72
Nebraska 66 29 292 175.0 2.65
Illinois 66 33 269 167.5 2.54
Ohio State 81 58 292 204.0 2.52
Michigan State 71 38 278 177.0 2.49
Purdue 65 41 232 157.0 2.42
Maryland 83 49 265 181.5 2.19
Northwestern 64 47 181 137.5 2.15
Michigan 75 40 220 150.0 2.00
Rutgers 74 20 242 141.0 1.91
Iowa 74 35 206 138.0 1.86
Indiana 77 29 221 139.5 1.81

 

Blocks by Opponents S BS BA Total Avg./S
Penn State 69 16 185 108.5 1.57
Nebraska 66 31 159 110.5 1.67
Purdue 65 15 199 114.5 1.76
Minnesota 67 44 186 137.0 2.04
Ohio State 81 35 264 167.0 2.06
Michigan State 71 39 219 148.5 2.09
Michigan 75 42 247 165.5 2.21
Wisconsin 65 32 227 145.5 2.24
Maryland 83 38 298 187.0 2.25
Northwestern 64 25 241 145.5 2.27
Rutgers 74 39 258 168.0 2.27
Indiana 77 22 320 182.0 2.36
Illinois 66 33 250 158.0 2.39
Iowa 74 36 301 186.5 2.52

 

Service Aces S No. Avg./S
Maryland 83 123 1.48
Indiana 77 109 1.42
Purdue 65 84 1.29
Minnesota 67 82 1.22
Iowa 74 87 1.18
Northwestern 64 74 1.16
Ohio State 81 92 1.14
Penn State 69 77 1.12
Michigan State 71 79 1.11
Rutgers 74 77 1.04
Nebraska 66 67 1.02
Wisconsin 65 53 0.82
Illinois 66 49 0.74
Michigan 75 50 0.67

 

Service Aces by Opponents S No. Avg./S
Illinois 66 40 0.61
Nebraska 66 46 0.70
Minnesota 67 49 0.73
Penn State 69 51 0.74
Wisconsin 65 54 0.83
Indiana 77 64 0.83
Michigan 75 64 0.85
Maryland 83 73 0.88
Michigan State 71 67 0.94
Iowa 74 73 0.99
Ohio State 81 81 1.00
Northwestern 64 69 1.08
Rutgers 74 96 1.30
Purdue 65 85 1.31

 

Individual Leaders
(Must have competed in at least 50% of team’s games)

Hitting Percentage S K E TA Pct.
Haleigh Washington, Penn State 69 187 30 340 0.462
Faye Adelaja, Purdue 54 126 28 231 0.424
Maddie Slater, Northwestern 64 139 32 278 0.385
Haleigh Nelson, Wisconsin 65 157 31 332 0.380
Taylor Sandbothe, Ohio State 81 241 50 505 0.378
Danielle Cuttino, Purdue 65 136 36 274 0.365
Jazzmine McDonald, Indiana 42 80 21 162 0.364
Abby Cole, Michigan 72 222 53 469 0.360
Mikaela Gunderson, Iowa 74 156 33 349 0.352
Paige Tapp, Minnesota 67 173 43 371 0.350
Katie Stadick, Illinois 64 187 53 398 0.337
Allyssah Fitterer, Michigan State 66 171 50 372 0.325
Aiyana Whitney, Penn State 69 209 60 471 0.316
Gabrielle Hazen, Northwestern 48 100 34 212 0.311
Cecilia Hall, Nebraska 63 114 42 232 0.310

(Must have at least 3.33 attacks per set)

Kills S No. Avg./S
Daly Santana, Minnesota 67 297 4.43
Annie Drews, Purdue 65 274 4.22
Jocelynn Birks, Illinois 54 214 3.96
Meme Fletcher, Rutgers 59 233 3.95
Elizabeth Campbell, Ohio State 80 301 3.76
Amelia Anderson, Indiana 76 285 3.75
Michelle Strizak, Illinois 63 225 3.57
Lauren Brobst, Iowa 74 250 3.38
Symone Abbott, Northwestern 64 214 3.34
Adreene Elliott, Maryland 83 276 3.33
Megan Courtney, Penn State 58 189 3.26
Brooke Kranda, Michigan State 69 220 3.19
Kadie Rolfzen, Nebraska 62 197 3.18
Lauryn Gillis, Wisconsin 65 204 3.14
Abby Cole, Michigan 72 222 3.08

 

Service Aces S No. Avg./S
Abbie Kraus, Northwestern 64 24 0.38
Holly Toliver, Michigan State 51 19 0.37
Bryanna Weiskircher, Penn State 69 23 0.33
Daly Santana, Minnesota 67 21 0.31
Brooke Peters, Purdue 64 20 0.31
Amanda Neill, Purdue 65 19 0.29
Abby Bentz, Maryland 79 22 0.28
Taylor Lebo, Indiana 72 20 0.28
Megan Tallman, Indiana 65 18 0.28
Kelsey Wicinski, Maryland 83 22 0.27
Rachel Minarick, Michigan State 70 19 0.27
Haleigh Washington, Penn State 69 18 0.26
Annika Albrecht, Nebraska 66 17 0.26
Amy Dion, Maryland 83 21 0.25
Molly Kelly, Iowa 73 18 0.25
Haleigh Nelson, Wisconsin 65 16 0.25

 

Blocks S BS BA Total Avg./S
Amber Rolfzen, Nebraska 52 7 78 85 1.63
Haleigh Washington, Penn State 69 19 87 106 1.54
Paige Tapp, Minnesota 67 12 81 93 1.39
Tionna Williams, Wisconsin 61 6 76 82 1.34
Danielle Cuttino, Purdue 65 15 68 83 1.28
Haleigh Nelson, Wisconsin 65 6 72 78 1.20
Gabrielle Hazen, Northwestern 48 11 46 57 1.19
Megan Tompkins, Michigan State 52 6 55 61 1.17
Taylor Sandbothe, Ohio State 81 21 73 94 1.16
Heidi Thelen, Penn State 52 7 53 60 1.15
Ali Bastianelli, Illinois 64 8 65 73 1.14
Katie Stadick, Illinois 64 6 66 72 1.13
Molly Lohman, Minnesota 60 7 60 67 1.12
Alyssa Garvelink, Michigan State 71 14 63 77 1.08
Abby Cole, Michigan 72 18 56 74 1.03

 

Digs S No. Avg./S
Caroline Niedospial, Northwestern 64 319 4.98
Annika Olsen, Iowa 74 348 4.70
Justine Wong-Orantes, Nebraska 66 303 4.59
Brandi Donnelly, Illinois 66 300 4.55
Taylor Morey, Wisconsin 65 296 4.55
Valeria Leon, Ohio State 81 359 4.43
Dalianliz Rosado, Minnesota 67 283 4.22
Amanda Neill, Purdue 65 250 3.85
Amy Dion, Maryland 83 300 3.61
Abby Monson, Michigan State 71 255 3.59
Megan Courtney, Penn State 58 203 3.50
Keeton Holcomb, Penn State 68 229 3.37
Courtney Harnish, Indiana 77 259 3.36
Tiffany Morales, Michigan 60 194 3.23
Ali Schroeter, Rutgers 74 231 3.12