Volleyball Takes First Two Matches at WMU Ameritech Invitational

Saturday, September 18

Kalamazoo, Mich. (Western Michigan Invitational)

4:30 PM ET

Michigan State University

Niagara

Volleyball Takes First Two Matches at WMU Ameritech Invitational

9/17/1999 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball

Sept. 17, 1999

DePaul Box Score
Niagara Box Score

Kalamazoo, Mich. - Sarah Gustin tallied 35 kills on .469 hitting for the day to lead Michigan State to wins over DePaul (3-0) and Niagara (3-0) in the opening day of the WMU Ameritech Invitational on Friday, Sept. 17.

MSU downed Niagara 15-4, 15-0, 15-1 in its second match of the day as Gustin led all hitters with 14 kills, while Jessica Sanborn (nine kills) and Angela Morley (eight kills) each hit over .500 with no errors. Morley also upped her career best with eight blocks. Maren Witzel added five kills on .444 hitting to go with four blocks and five digs. Vicki Basil tallied 33 assists and eight digs as the starting setter and Tammy Vonderheide led the team with 10 digs.

The Spartans hit .368 as a team, the sixth consecutive match MSU has hit over .300. It was the seventh time in Michigan State history that the Spartans have won a game 15-0.

In their opener the Spartans dispatched DePaul, 3-0 (15-8, 15-5, 15-13). Sarah Gustin led all hitters with a career-high 21 kills on .625 hitting (21-1-32), a season best. Gustin also contributed nine digs and 4 blocks. Morley had seven blocks, while Jessica Sanborn, Erin Hartley and Witzel all tallied seven kills.

Despite the scores of the first two games, DePaul made the Spartans battle for every point. Down 2-11 in game two, the Blue Demons forced seven consecutive sideouts and eventually upped the score to 5-13 before Hartley contributed a kill and an assist to end the game. In game three, Michigan State let its attention lapse and DePaul took advantage. Down 3-8, DePaul scored six points to MSU?s three to get back into the game. At 14-10, the Spartans looked to close out the match but a service ace and key kills forced the score to 14-13 before Gustin won the game and match with a huge kill from the outside.

Michigan State is now 8-2 on the season and has won its last six matches in a row. MSU plays Loyola at 11:30 a.m. and host Western Michigan at 7:30 p.m. on the final day of the Ameritech Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 18.