It’s the last road trip of the regular season for MSU volleyball, and how the Spartans fare will weigh heavily on their NCAA tournament hopes.
MSU has failed to put together back-to-back wins since September and has consequently fallen out of the top 25 for the first time all season.
Tied for fifth in the Big Ten with only four matches remaining, the Spartans (15-10 overall, 8-8 Big Ten) find themselves on the tournament bubble.
MSU plays at Iowa (12-12, 8-8) tonight and at No. 8 Minnesota (25-2, 14-2) on Saturday.
Senior middle hitter Sarah Gustin said MSU is looking to secure a spot in the tournament this weekend. She said the Spartans share fifth place with the Hawkeyes and a win tonight would give MSU sole possession of fifth.
“It’s very important,” she said. “If we want our chance in the NCAA tournament it’s a must that we beat Iowa.
“There’s only four matches left. If we don’t go ahead this weekend we have one last chance.”
On Oct. 21, the Hawkeyes defeated the Spartans in five games at Jenison Field House. MSU had a 2-0 lead, but was unable to close out the match.
Since then, the Spartans have dealt with numerous injuries and lineup changes. The most recent lineup shift came last Saturday against then-No. 13 Ohio State.
MSU head coach Chuck Erbe decided to move Gustin from the outside hitter position back into the middle, where she was All-Big Ten after her sophomore season. He also moved sophomore outside hitter Kyla Smith into the starting lineup to fill Gustin’s absence.
The shift was a success, as the Spartans defeated the Buckeyes. The win was the first over a team ranked higher than MSU.
Erbe said he expected Gustin to be rusty moving back to the middle, adding he was surprised she wasn’t.
“She was just a huge presence in the middle,” he said. “Out of 30 swings she had 20 kills with two errors and six blocks.
“I’m hoping that some of our lineup changes we had will continue to bear fruit for us.”
Gustin said playing middle again felt natural. She said her timing with the ball was perfect, adding that’s something she struggled with on the outside.
“I just come out and play where Chuck wants me to play,” she said. “I’m really glad he feels comfortable putting me anywhere. I just feel that volleyball is volleyball no matter where you’re playing.”
Gustin is modest about her performance, but freshman outside hitter Jenny Rood has no problem giving praise. She said playing with athletes of Gustin’s caliber makes her job easier.
“Gustin just ripped it up in the middle,” she said. “It wasn’t even funny. It’s just awesome watching her.
“No one was worried about Sarah Gustin. Well, the other team was worried.”
Rood said moving players around normally creates uneasiness among teammates, but added MSU found a chemistry it’s lacked.
“The thing is, everybody played well,” she said. “When things come together, good things happen for this team.”
Erbe said having everyone on the same page and playing well is a must. He said Iowa wants sole possession of fifth place just as bad as MSU does and playing Minnesota is always tough.
“A win over Iowa is huge,” he said. “It goes beyond evening the scale with Iowa, it makes us 9-8 going into the match with Minnesota and it puts us in control of our own destiny.
“Minnesota (in Minneapolis) on Saturday is going to be a very tall order. They’re very tough at home and they’re back in the hunt for the Big Ten championship.”
Erbe said MSU needs every player to bring her best game this weekend. He said the Spartans know this weekend’s significance and he’s optimistic about the outcome.
“I have a sense that this team is on a mission, and that mission is to be in the NCAA tournament,” he said.
