The anticipation is over for the MSU volleyball team.
This weekend, the team will find out where it stands nationally, facing three of the top 13 teams in the country in Lincoln, Neb., at the U.S. Bank/Arby's Classic.
MSU will face No. 13 Santa Clara, No. 10 Georgia Tech and host school No. 5 Nebraska in three consecutive days. This weekend is easily the Spartans' toughest of the season, both on the whole and especially the match against Nebraska.
"We're going to find out a lot about ourselves this weekend," head coach Chuck Erbe said. "I liken this to an NCAA Regional, with all four teams being ranked.
"No matter what happens, my interest is that the team plays hard."
MSU (5-0) will be the underdog in each of the three matches, but the Spartans are not concerned, having taken the underdog attitude last weekend.
The result was a tough road victory over a good South Carolina team and an upset of then-No. 17 North Carolina.
"We've gained a lot of confidence over the last two weeks by winning those games," senior defensive specialist and co-captain Emmy Miller said.
Enough confidence that the Spartans feel they have a really good chance to beat any of the three teams, as long as they execute their game plan in each match.
However, Erbe knows this weekend could quickly go south if his team does not play well in the opener against Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets (5-0) are riding high after winning the Buckeye Classic last weekend in Columbus, Ohio. As a team, Georgia Tech is hitting .420 for the season and will challenge the tough MSU defense.
"I'm really looking forward to just killing (Georgia Tech)," Miller said, "because I legitimately think we can."
Game two against volleyball powerhouse Nebraska (6-0) will be the toughest but also the most interesting game of the tournament. The environment will be very hostile for the Spartans, as the match between the two sold out in 20 minutes and people were waiting in line for more than two hours.
Senior Nikki Colson, a native of Lincoln, Neb., goes 'home' to play against the team she grew up cheering for, in what might turn out to be the toughest game of her career.
The final game against Santa Clara (5-1) will not be any easier. Santa Clara lost its first match but has won its last five.
"We are really looking forward to the competition we're going to be playing this weekend," sophomore libero Marley Bellwood said. "We're going to have to play our best."
