After playing on the road for three straight weeks, the MSU volleyball team (5-5 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) returns to Jenison Field House to face Indiana and Purdue.
"It's good to be home," head coach Chuck Erbe said.
But the Spartans have not won a match since Sept. 10. The team also recently lost junior middle Megan Wallin for the season due to a torn ACL in her right knee.
"We started the season OK, it got worse and then it turned into a nightmare," senior outside hitter Kim Schram said.
At 7 p.m., MSU will battle Indiana a team that started the Big Ten 0-2 as well. This season, the Hoosiers are averaging 15.8 kills per game with a .254 attack percentage.
The team's leading hitters - middle Katie Pollom and outside hitter Christina Archibald - have more than 180 kills each with a .339 and .219 hitting percentage, respectively.
The Spartans will take on the Boilermakers (9-3, 2-0) at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Purdue is led by middle Kim McConaha with 4.36 kills per game. Setter Renata Dargen has 538 assists this season.
MSU meanwhile, is averaging 14.8 kills, 13.5 assists, 14.5 digs and 2.1 blocks per game. Schram is hitting 4.38 kills per game with a .257 hitting percentage and 2.41 digs per game. Freshman setter Maggie Griffin has 12.03 assists per game.
This home game will mean a lot to the team, Schram said.
"It'll be a breath of fresh air for this team," Schram said. "You get a sense of confidence back at home."
Griffin hoped being home and supported by home fans would restore chemistry the team had the last time it was home, where the team left 3-0 without a single loss the entire weekend.
"This is our court, this is where we practice," Griffin said. "Hopefully we can try to get back into the rhythm that we had."
While playing on home court will give a small advantage for a change, the team still will be facing a rough weekend, Erbe said.
The most notable changes in the lineup will come with junior middle Brooke Langston taking Wallin's position at middle and moving senior outside hitter Michelle Kopka to the right side for Langston.
Langston said the players have the drive to make the transitions.
"We need to prove it to ourselves at home," Langston said.
Working on those lineup changes, the offensive output and the chemistry that has eluded the team for the past few matches, this week was used to prepare specifically for Indiana, Erbe said.
