The MSU volleyball team (6-6 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) is heading to Ann Arbor with a grudge as the Spartans prepare to challenge the Wolverines (13-2 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) at 7 p.m.
Last year's matches between the two rivals were split, with each winning at its opponent's house and this year, the Spartans want to take it all.
"It seems like as you get older, you get more of a grudge toward the Wolverines," junior setter Mickey Davis said.
"Because it's been so split, not one team has dominated in the four years I've been here, we don't have a clean record.
"That's why this year, we're trying to get the edge since we beat them at their place last year."
Senior outside hitter Kim Schram, who is only 25 kills short of 1,500, has also been gearing up for the first in-state match up of the season.
"It's always so much fun to play there," Schram said. "It's one of the toughest places to play and win in the Big Ten, which is always exciting."
Especially after the loss to Purdue on Saturday - a team that MSU head coach Chuck Erbe said the Spartans should have shut out - the Spartans are looking forward to beating rival Michigan.
"Being able to follow up with a win at the University of Michigan would be really good for the team right now," Schram said.
This year, the Wolverines have beaten Notre Dame 3-1, a team the Spartans lost to with a 1-3 match score. Michigan also beat Purdue, a team that provided MSU with a disappointing 2-3 loss.
Michigan went five games before winning against Indiana, a team that the Spartans shut out this weekend. The Wolverines were defeated by then-No. 1 Minnesota, a team that also won against MSU.
U-M outside hitter Jennifer Gandolph leads the Wolverines with a .244 attack percentage and an average of 3.59 kills per game. Setter Lisa Gamalski has 639 assists on the season. The team has a .264 attack percentage.
Schram leads MSU in kills averaging 4.7 per game. Griffin has 554 assists on the season, averaging 12.31 assists per game and junior libero Marley Bellwood has 3.42 digs per game.
The Spartans have struggled this season with consistency in the serve-pass part of the game, Erbe said.
"The start of the game, the serve-pass - we were really good on it Friday night and then we came back on Saturday night we weren't so good with it," he said.
"That's disconcerting."
While the team has the chemistry, what is missing is an individual problem, Erbe said.
MSU had a strong performance during both weekend games, making up for deficits at many parts of the games, Erbe said, but it raised more questions about the Spartans' mental game.
"If you're good enough to come from behind, then why aren't you good enough to get the lead and keep it?" he said.
Despite these questions, the Spartans will win today if they can correct the serve-pass errors, Schram said.
"I honestly believe we can beat anyone in the Big Ten, it is just a matter of being consistent," she said.
Davis said tonight's match is too personal for the Spartans to easily give up any games tonight.
"It doesn't matter how many games it takes for us to beat them, we have to persevere," she said.
