Just like Willie Nelson, the Spartan volleyball team will be “on the road again” this weekend as it tangles with the Indiana Hoosiers at 7 p.m. today and with the Illinois Fighting Illini at 7 p.m. CST on Saturday.
Both games are must-wins for the Spartans (10-3, 3-3 Big Ten), who are hoping to break away from the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. The Spartans are in sixth place.
“This weekend is really going to be a turning point for us,” sophomore setter Nikki Colson said. “It’s so important for us to prove to ourselves and to the coaches that we are a team that can seriously compete in the Big Ten.”
The Spartans first step comes in Bloomington, Ind., when the Spartans will play a young Hoosiers (4-10, 1-5) squad. Coming off a 3-1 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday, Indiana will look to rebound behind the play of middle blocker Melissa Brewer and outside hitter Christina Archibald.
Archibald leads the team with 3.64 kills per game and Brewer adds 3.14 a game.
Spartan head coach Chuck Erbe said Brewer - a member of last season’s Big Ten All-Freshman Team - will be reason for concern for his Spartan defense.
“She’s very athletic,” he said. “She’s obviously someone who will get some attention, but they are still a very athletically balanced team.”
Illinois (9-4, 2-4) is led by outside hitter Shadia Haddad’s team-leading 3.29 kills a game and middle blocker Lydia Gard’s 1.21 blocks a game.
“Haddad is a focal point of their offense,” Erbe said. “We’re going to have to control her to the point where she can’t have significant numbers, so we’ll have to have a solid block on her.”
Though Illinois’ record is not spectacular, Erbe said its record doesn’t say much about the quality of the team’s play.
“They are a solid athletic team,” he said.
The Spartans are waiting to find out what level of play or availability they’ll get from senior outside hitter Erin Hartley.
Hartley said her sprained foot is not 100 percent, but said she thinks she’ll be playing in this weekend’s crucial matches.
“We need to start winning games against teams we feel we should beat,” Hartley said. “We need to prove to ourselves and to other teams that we are the team we say we are.”
The weekend’s matches not only play a factor with conference rankings, but will also play a part in the Spartan’s postseason plans, Erbe said.
“If we’re going to put ourselves in the NCAA tournament - and that’s our focus - we need to come out of this weekend 2-0 and get back on track.”
