Preview: Michigan State volleyball hits the road for a tough battle against No. 4 Penn State.

Michigan State volleyball team | Photo Credit: MSU Athletics

EAST LANSING- With a loss in their Big Ten opener to Michigan behind them, Michigan State travels to University Park, Pennsylvania, hoping to pull off an upset against the fourth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.

Last season, the two teams split the series 1-1, each winning on their home court. The Spartans’ victory snapped a 13-match losing streak dating back to Nov. 2, 2013, as Penn State has historically dominated Michigan State, losing just eight times in 62 meetings.

The Spartans are 7-5 this season, having won three of their last five matches and starting conference play with a 3-0 loss in Ann Arbor on Friday. They’ll be looking to regroup and build momentum as they prepare for their third of five consecutive road matches.

On the other hand, Penn State has been a well-oiled machine, starting the season 11-1 and boasting a perfect 6-0 record at home. They come into this matchup winners of three straight, with their most recent victory coming against No. 10 Purdue in a dominating 3-0 road win to start conference play 1-0.

A key factor in a potential all-time Spartan upset will be junior middle blocker Evie Doezema. Doezema excelled in nonconference play, posting a .467 hitting percentage and hitting .647 last week through four matches with 36 kills on 51 attempts. Her hitting percentage ranks fourth in the Big Ten and would be 10th nationally if she averaged enough attack attempts per set.

Penn State will rely on the Starck sisters to lead them to victory and remain undefeated at home. Freshman setter Izzy Starck, the No. 1-ranked high school recruit for 2024, has made an immediate impact, racking up 433 assists so far and ranking second in the Big Ten. Her older sister, senior outside hitter Anjelina Starck, leads the Big Ten in ace-to-error ratio at 4.00.

The Spartans will need to be at their best if they want a shot at taking down one of the nation’s top teams on the road. Last year, head coach Leah Johnson rallied the team to steal one from the Nittany Lions. If they can do it again, it would be one of the biggest wins in program history.

The Nittany Lions will welcome the Spartans to Happy Valley this afternoon at 2 p.m. as they prepare to clash inside Rec Hall.