Volleyball Travels to Iowa, No. 1 Nebraska This Weekend

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State volleyball (15-3, 5-3 B1G) heads again on the street this week to face Iowa (10-10, 1-7 B1G) on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. ET earlier than touring to Lincoln to tackle No. 1 Nebraska (18-0, 8-0 B1G) on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET. 

Friday’s match will stream on B1G+. Saturday’s match in opposition to Nebraska will likely be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network with Larry Punteney and John Cook on the decision.

Friday’s match in opposition to the Hawkeyes would be the fourth of 5 Big Ten | Discover Volleyball Challenge matches for MSU. Select convention matches performed in the course of the month of October will rely towards the inaugural Discover In-Season Volleyball Challenge. Each crew will play 5 designated problem matches all through the month, with the winner decided by the best win whole throughout the 5 video games. MSU is 2-1 in Discover Challenge matches to this point and can wrap up the problem subsequent week at residence in opposition to Purdue on Oct. 31.

MSU went 1-1 final week at residence, falling to the Huskers in three units in entrance of a program-record crowd of 11,578 followers contained in the Breslin Center on Oct. 17. Despite the loss, MSU hit .209 for the match, turning into the one convention crew and simply second crew general (Arizona, .250) to hit above .200 in opposition to Nebraska to this point this season. The Spartans bounced again to win a five-setter over Maryland on Oct. 19. 

At 5-3 in convention motion, MSU sits in a three-way tie for sixth place within the league alongside Minnesota and Penn State. Undefeated Nebraska sits in first, whereas Illinois (7-1) is second and Indiana, Purdue and Wisconsin all maintain a 6-2 file to sit down in a tie for third.

Junior exterior hitter Karolina Staniszewska led MSU in whole kills final week with 28, together with a career-high-tying 19 in opposition to Maryland. She additionally tallied 12 digs in MSU’s win over the Terps to file her third double-double of the season. Freshman exterior hitter Bianca Mumcular posted her seventh double-digit kill match of the season in opposition to Maryland with 13 kills.

Redshirt freshman setter Malayah Long, who will make her hometown return to Lincoln this weekend, totaled 63 assists over MSU’s two matches final week, whereas  additionally tying for a team-high mixed 16 digs with junior libero Lia Schneider and Staniszewska. Junior center blocker Zuzanna Kulig posted a team-high eight whole blocks.

About Iowa

Iowa is 10-10 general and 1-7 within the convention this season, falling to ranked USC and UCLA groups at residence final week. 

MSU is 56-29 general in opposition to Iowa and 27-13 on the street within the sequence. The Spartans haven’t dropped a contest since a house loss on Nov. 26, 2022, and received 3-2 in East Lansing this season on Oct. 10. 

Jim Barnes is in his fourth season as head coach in 2025.

About Nebraska

Nebraska is certainly one of two undefeated groups remaining within the NCAA (Texas) at an ideal 18-0 and 8-0 in convention play. The Huskers defeated the Spartans in a sweep final week on Oct. 17 earlier than taking down Michigan on Oct. 19. Nebraska has not dropped a Big Ten set this season.

The Huskers lead the all-time sequence, 29-2-2, together with an 15-0 file in Lincoln. MSU’s final and solely wins within the sequence got here on Nov. 4, 2012 (3-2) and Oct. 12, 2013 (3-1), each at residence. 

Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly is in her first season at Nebraska.

Up Next

MSU hosts Purdue on Friday, Oct. 31 contained in the Breslin Center at 7 p.m.