When the MSU volleyball team went on its first Big Ten road trip, it felt a little overwhelmed.
“That was definitely a learning experience for us, because it was our first Big Ten road trip,” freshman libero Carli Weiler said. “We learned that we need to create our own energy on the road since the crowd’s not on our side. We just need to be as pumped and as excited as we are when we play at home.”
Freshman setter Natalie Emro said the opposing crowds got to her.
“I know I can’t let the hecklers get to me and I need to stay focused on the game the whole time,” Emro said. “A couple times — serving — they’ll yell something in the middle of your serve. Then I get really mad and hit the ball really hard, and stuff like that. So I just need to drown it out and ignore it.”
On the trip, the Spartans went 0-2, losing to Indiana and No. 1 Penn State. Head coach Cathy George said the young team didn’t realize how tough the conference was.
“It was the first time for a Big Ten road trip for most of our players,” George said. “I don’t think our team realized Indiana’s going to be very intense when they see a (team) who they feel they can compete with and maybe take a match from.”
This weekend, the Spartans, now 11-6 overall and 3-3 in conference, go on their second road trip, traveling to No. 12 Minnesota (16-3, 6-1) and Iowa (11-8, 3-4).
Minnesota has had a strong season and won five straight before dropping a game in straight sets to Penn State.
“I don’t take anything away from Minnesota,” George said. “It’s just amazing to see (Penn State) take a team like Minnesota and just dispose of them. Minnesota is such a great team.”
The Gophers boast two of the top players in the conference in sophomore middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer and junior libero Christine Tan. Gibbemeyer ranks third in the Big Ten in blocks, fourth in points, 10th in kills and ranks sixth in the nation in blocks per set. Tan leads all players in the Big Ten in digs and is ninth in the nation in digs per set.
“Gibbemeyer is awesome,” George said. “She hits the slide attack really well, really quick. You have to try to get a hand on it at the net if not, the ball is as good as dead. You need to make sure she’s not getting those kills at will so that it’s not making it difficult for us to come back from. You don’t want to ever have any person that can score at will. If you do there’s trouble for your team because those pivotal crucial times they can go to them.”
Iowa is in a resurgent year with a senior-laden team playing hard for its new coaching staff, George said.
“Iowa is going to be looking to take it to us no doubt,” George said. “Minnesota obviously is, they’re second in the conference right now, they expect to win. But Iowa is a team that we both have to be fighting. You always look to win those games at home, so Iowa is going to come at us with everything they have in order to capture that.
“Our team needs to be understanding that they’re in a war. Iowa has been at the bottom of the Big Ten for years, but now they have a new coach, they have new hope, and we need to understand and start right from the get go strong.”
In other news, sophomore outside hitter Jenilee Rathje had surgery on her injured ACL last week. The surgery went well and there was no sign of a tear in her meniscus. Rathje should be cleared to play in the spring.
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