MSU volleyball enters crucial home stand on pace to host NCAA tourney
EAST LANSING – Michigan State’s volleyball team faces a critical final home stand — four matches, Northwestern and Illinois this weekend, Purdue and Michigan next.
It might not be last of the Spartans’ home appearances at Jenison Field House, however. MSU is 19-5 and closing in on 20 wins faster than any season since the 1995 Final Four run. That record, including an 8-4 mark in the brutal Big Ten, gives MSU the 12th highest RPI ranking in college volleyball. Similar to women’s college basketball, top 16 seeds host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. The selection show is Nov. 27. The first two rounds are played the first weekend in December.
New this year, the four highest-seeded winners of the early round tournament sites host the regionals, regardless of location.
“It won’t be spread across the nation potentially,” MSU coach Cathy George said. “It could be where it’s a Midwest flavor.”
Given that three of the top four teams in the country, via the RPI, are Big Ten schools — (1) Nebraska, (2) Wisconsin and (4) Minnesota — and eight Big Ten teams are in the top 25 — including upcoming home opponents Michigan (11) and Purdue (17) — that’s a fairly likely scenario. MSU also still faces Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin on the road.
The Final Four this year is Dec. 15 and 17 in Columbus, Ohio, so it’s possible the top Big Ten teams won’t ever have to leave the Midwest.
“We’d like to host, there’s no question about that,” George said, “but that’s not really the driving force. I think what we want to keep ourselves wrapped around is how are we going to play Friday (against Northwestern) and what are we going to do to improve. I think things fall into place for teams that keep their mind on what’s right in front of them.”
The advantage of being home in the NCAA tournament for MSU would be tremendous. The Spartans are 10-2 at Jenison Field House this year, averaging 2,800 fans, sixth-most in the country.
“It would great to be here in East Lansing as our crowd support has been phenomenal,” George said. “That would be wonderful.”
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.