The Support Group of
Michigan State University Women's Volleyball

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2012 Annual Awards Presented

The following awards were presented at the annual volleyball banquet on January 6, 2013 at the Kellogg Center:

SideOut Club Service Award: Peter Morris
Academic All-Conference Selections: Amy Dentlinger, Kristen Kelsay, Chelsey Probst, Stefanie Shiramizu, Jazmine White
Kirkby Scholar-Athlete Award: Kristen Kelsay
Most Improved Award: Amy Dentlinger
Playmaker Award: Kori Moster
Extra Mile Award: Kristen Kelsay
MVP Award: Lauren Wicinski

The SideOut Club presented Coach George with a check for $10,000 for use by the volleyball program.

Two Spartan All-Americans: Wicinski and Moster!

To close out the 2012 season, Lauren Wicinski was named a second-team All-American and Kori Moster was selected as an honorable mention. This was only the second time that two MSU volleyball players earned All-American honors in the same year. The MSU volleyball program has now had eleven All-Americans in total. [full story]

MSU Upsets UCLA; Advances to Regional

For the fifth time in program history, the MSU volleyball team has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. They did this with a December 1 upset victory over seventh-seeded UCLA, on UCLA's home court in Pauley Pavilion.

The Spartans are scheduled to play the University of Michigan in Berkeley, California at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, December 7. The team will stay in California for the week rather than returning to East Lansing.

The regional semi-final matchup against Michigan looks much more favorable for MSU than their last two trips to the regionals in 2002 and 2007, since the Wolverines are a team of similar strength that MSU has already defeated once this year.

Four Spartans Earn Conference Honors

When Lauren Wicinski transferred to MSU from Northern Illinois in the spring, some questioned how she would fare against the higher level of talent in the Big Ten. Well, the Big Ten coaches think she continued to excel just as she did in the Mid-America Conference, making her a unanimous pick to the All-Big-Ten team for 2012.

Kori Moster was chosen as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the year, and earned an honorable mention spot on the All-Big-Ten team. She was one of only two liberos named to the 23-member team.

In a bit of a surprise, Halle Peterson was chosen for the All Freshman team. It's not a surprise based on her performance, actually quite the contrary. The surprise is that setters in a two-setter system such as MSU's are often overlooked for awards.

The fourth award for the Spartans went to Kristen Kelsay, who won the Sportsmanship honor. [full story]

Spartans Head for California, NCAA Tournament

The Spartan volleyball team will continue their season in the first round of the NCAA tournament at UCLA on Friday November 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Their opponent will be San Diego, who were co-champions (with BYU) of the West Coast Conference. The winner will most likely face national No. 7 seed UCLA on Saturday at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Dual Wins for a Milestone Season

Spartan victories over Illinois and Northwestern on November 16 and 17 produced a number of milestones for the Spartan volleyball team and head coach Cathy George. First, the team's 11th Big Ten win of the year assures Cathy George of her first season with a winning percentage over .500 in Big Ten matches. Second, the overall total of 23 wins is the largest in her eight years at the helm, as well as the most Spartan wins since 1998. In addition, MSU now has a Big Ten winning streak of six matches, the longest since 1998. Go Green!

The Tallest Spartans Ever: Recruits Announced for 2013

Height is the the standout factor for the incoming class of 2013, announced on November 14 by MSU volleyball head coach Cathy George.

Consider this: in MSU volleyball history, the three tallest players (Jenny Whitehead, Angela Morley, and Lisa Naymick) have been listed as 6' 4" tall. The recruiting class for next fall matches this with three players of that height, plus another at 6' 6" and a fifth at 6'2"!

See the MSU press release for the full list of student-athletes, and then read separate stories about Chloe Reinig, Allyssah Fitterer, Autumn Christenson, and Megan Tompkins.

A Record-Setting Win Over Minnesota!

MSU's upset of No. 10 Minnesota on November 9, following last week's toppling of No. 4 Nebraska, was the first time ever that an unranked Spartan volleyball team has earned back-to-back victories over two Top Ten ranked opponents. (To their credit, the 1995 Spartans did this twice during their season, but they were themselves a Top Ten team at the time.) [full story]

Spartans Triumph Over Cornhuskers!

MSU volleyball earned their biggest victory of the season November 3, with a heart-pounding 3-2 win over No. 4-ranked Nebraska. This was the first time the Spartans have defeated the Huskers in 14 meetings, and it was also the first time since 1996 that MSU has beaten a top-5 ranked opponent. [full story]

Lauren Wicinski Named Player of the Week

Outside hitter Lauren Wicinski had a season-high 29 kills versus the Ohio State Buckeyes on October 20, to go with 18 kills in a sweep of Michigan three days earlier. For her performance, she was named Big Ten Player of the Week for October 22. She is the first Spartan to win this award since 2009. [full story]

Cathy George Earns 500th Win

The Spartans' win over Iowa on September 29 marked the 500th career win for head coach Cathy George, now in her 26th season. She now ranks number 34 in victories among active Division I women's volleyball coaches. [full story]

Spartans Acknowledged in Coaches Poll

On September 17, MSU volleyball entered the AVCA Coaches Poll at number 25. This was their first appearance in the top 25 since October 5, 2009. The recognition by the coaches follows a 12-0 preconference start to the season, including four tournament championships.

Mathews' Blocking Earns Defensive Honor

Alexis Mathews was chosen as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on September 17. At the Holiday Inn Charleston/ Mt. Pleasant Invitational she averaged 1.7 blocks per set and also led all players with a .477 hitting percentage. This is the second time she has received this award in her career. [full story]

Moster Wins Defensive Player of the Week Award

Sophomore co-captain Kori Moster was named Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week on September 3 for her performance in the UConn Classic Tournament. She averaged 5.8 digs per set for the weekend. [full story]

UConn Classic Goes to the Spartans

MSU didn't lose a set to start September off by winning the UConn Classic tournament. Libero Kori Moster was tabbed as tournament MVP. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates outside hitter Lauren Wicinski and middle blocker Alexis Mathews. [full story]

MSU Wins Spartan Showcase

Spartan volleyball went undefeated for the opening weekend, taking the crown in the Spartan Showcase on August 25. Lauren Wicinski was named tournament MVP after accounting for over one-third of MSU's kills on just under one-third of the team attempts. Fellow Spartans Kelsey Kuipers and Alexis Mathews were also named to the all-tournament team. [full story]

Mathews Chosen for Preseason Honor

Junior middle blocker Alexis Mathews was selected by Big Ten coaches for the 2012 preseason All Big Ten volleyball team. Alexis was fourth in the conference in 2011 with an average of 1.3 blocks per set. [full team]

SideOut Club Events to Start The Season

The SideOut Club Board would like to invite all SOC members and their guests to join the Board for the "Meet the Team" event on Saturday, August 18, 2012 in Jenison Field House immediately following the Green & White game. Food and drink will be provided. The 2012 team features five new players—four freshmen and one junior transfer.

Then on Thursday August 23, Coach Cathy George and her staff will present the first coach's luncheon of the 2012 season. This is a free event open to everyone, with the only cost being whatever you order from a full menu. It will be held at the Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe on Lake Lansing Road at U.S. 127 in East Lansing starting at noon. Come learn what to expect from the Spartans for the upcomng season.

Previous 2012 News

Volleyball Tailgate Party - October 20, 2012

Come out to join fellow MSU fans for the 13th Annual SideOut Club Volleyball Tailgate on Saturday, October 20, 2012 before the match against Ohio State. We will start around 3:00 pm at the usual location in front of the south entrance to Jenison Fieldhouse and continue until game time at 6:30 pm. Bring a dish or grillable item to share. Also needed are grills and folding tables. If you can bring a grill or folding table, or if you have any questions, please contact Cathy Caswell at 332-4353 or at caswell@msu.edu.

2012 Schedule Posted

The MSU Spartans' schedule for fall 2012 is now available. Like last year, MSU will play only one game against Penn State (in State College this year) and Ohio State (in East Lansing this year), while playing two games against all other conference foes.

In non-conference play, MSU will open at home with a tournament on August 24-25, and will host a second tournament September 7-8. They will also travel to tournaments at the University of Connecticut and the College of Charleston. The non-conference schedule includes one 2011 NCAA tournament competitor, Albany. [full schedule]

Lauren Wicinski to Transfer from NIU

Reports on March 26 indicate that two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Lauren Wicinski has verbally committed to transfer to Michigan State. The 6-1 outside hitter has been released by Northern Illinois so she will be able to play this fall. [DeKalb Daily Chronicle story] [Aurora Beacon-News story]

Three Spartans Named to A2 Team

Amy Dentlinger, Alexis Mathews, and Lauren Wicinski were among 48 collegiate players selected on March 22, 2012 to participate in the U.S. Women's National Team Program. [full story]

Spring Tournament at Jenison

The Spartans will host a nine-team spring tournament in Jenison Field House starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, 2012. Teams will include Eastern, Central and Western Michigan, Illinois State, IPFW, Akron, Northwood, and Oakland. [full schedule].

The spring schedule will open the week before with a practice/competition event at Western Michigan University on March 24. The morning will be closed practice, but the gym will open to spectators for a 1:30 p.m. match between the two teams. After the March 31 home stand, the Spartans will finish up with two tournaments on April 14 and April 21. On April 14, they will be at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, Illinois for the 11-team Collegiate Challenge tournament. On April 21, the Spartans will join Ball State for a three-team tournament at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Annual Meeting in Jenison March 31

The SideOut Club’s Annual Meeting will be held at 12:30 p.m. on March 31, 2012 in Jenison Field House, during the spring tournament. All members are encouraged to attend. The Club’s annual financial statement will be presented and there will be an election for the Board of Directors. The Annual Meeting also serves as a forum for members to voice any suggestions or concerns. The meeting will be held in room 309, which is to your left after entering the gymnastics area on the third floor. Hope to see you all on the 31st.

Big Ten and Other News

Waite Resigns at Wisconsin

Wisconsin volleyball head coach Pete Waite has resigned after 14 years. The Badgers had tremendous success the first nine years of his tenure, winning the Big Ten twice and never finishing below fourth place. The last five years were very different however, as the team found itself usually near the bottom of the conference. [full story]

Alumna Jessica Hohl Now an Assistant at Bowling Green

Jessica Hohl, who graduated from MSU in 2007, has begun a coaching career at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. [full story]

Conference Coaches Pick Nebraska to Repeat

Defending Big Ten Champion Nebraska was chosen as the conference favorite in the 2012 preseason Big Ten Coaches' Poll. The top six spots were rounded out by Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois and Ohio State. [full story]

Big Ten Dominates 2012 Preseason Poll

The Big Ten led all conferences in the AVCA Division I Coaches 2012 Preseason Poll, released on August 13. The Big Ten placed four teams in the top ten and seven teams in the top 25. Michigan State was 30th in votes received. [full poll]

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