The wait is finally over for the MSU women’s volleyball team.
Tonight, the team will hit the court against an opponent for the first match in the 2002-2003 campaign when they take on Georgetown in the eighth annual Coca-Cola/MSU Volleyball Classic at Jenison Field House.
“I think we have a very good opponent in Georgetown,” Spartan head coach Chuck Erbe said. “There will be a lot of nervousness in our locker room just with the anticipation for the season to start.”
The only game-like experience the No. 15 Spartans have had this season was last Saturday’s Green & White game.
Aside from looking at film from last year’s Georgetown team, the Spartans will go into the Georgetown game blind.
“I have an idea what our game plan will be,” Erbe said. “But since we’re not going to see Georgetown play, we’ll learn about Georgetown as the match evolves.”
South Carolina and Oakland join the Hoyas as the other teams taking part in the two-day tournament
The Spartans haven’t played Oakland since 1983 when MSU won the match 3-0. MSU will be looking to add to their 4-0 record against the instate rival.
“Obviously, the marquee matchup is Saturday night against South Carolina,” Erbe said. “They are nationally ranked and we have a real good rivalry with them. That will be a more tactical and strategic type of match compared to the other two.”
The MSU-South Carolina matchup was canceled last year because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. MSU has history on its side against South Carolina, previously winning both times the teams squared off.
The Spartans haven’t faced the Gamecocks since 1995 when they won 3-0 by scores of 15-1, 15-1 and 15-10 en route to a 34-3 season record and a NCAA Final Four berth.
MSU will take on Oakland at 10 a.m. Saturday and will face South Carolina at 8 p.m. later that night at Jenison Field House.
The Spartans are hoping to continue their late season push last year, in which they won 9 or 10 games to finish the year and earn a birth into the NCAA tournament.
“It will be a really good test for us to see if we have the right to have the high expectations we have for this year,” Erbe said. “It will be a great match.”
