Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Iowa
Hawkeyes Beat Volleyball In Five
10/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 21, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. - If a team could be thought to have multiple personalities, the Spartan volleyball team proved it on Saturday night. After a dominating game one and solid game two, Michigan State dropped the next three games to lose to Iowa, 15-1, 15-12, 10-15, 13-15, 11-15. The Spartans fall to 12-7 on the season, 5-5 in the Big Ten while the Hawkeyes raise their record to 10-8, 6-4. It was MSU's first loss in a five-game match this season (3-1) and just its second on Saturday night (7-2).
Michigan State came out blazing in game one. Redshirt junior middle hitter Maren Witzel served the first eight points of the game before finally losing serve. MSU scored another point before Iowa finally got on the board at 9-1. Both teams exchanged rallies, bringing Witzel back to the service line at 11-1, where she served up four more points, including two service aces to end the game, 15-1. The Spartans hit .688 as a team to Iowa's -.130 and outblocked the Hawkeyes 3-0.
MSU came out with a quick four points to being game two but the Hawkeyes came back to even it at 4-4. Both teams kept it tight until 6-6, where junior outside hitter Erin Hartley served four points to open a 10-6 Spartan lead. The Hawkeyes never recovered and State won 15-12. Freshman outside hitter Jenny Rood led the team with six kills.
The Spartans came out flat for game three, allowing Iowa to tear out to a 9-0 lead. MSU fought back but could not catch the Hawkeyes, eventually losing 10-15. The Spartans were outhit, .298-.211 and outblocked 4-2. Redshirt sophomore Angela Morley tallied six kills on .667 hitting in the game.
Game four was a more even affair with Iowa taking a 6-2 lead. MSU came back to within a point at 6-7. Both teams battled the rest of the way, with the Hawkeyes always leading by 1-3 points, eventually taking the game, 15-13, to send the match into a fifth game. Iowa outhit MSU .246-.141.
With rally scoring on, both teams traded points early in the fifth. With an 8-6 lead Iowa held the ball for five serves to take an insurmountable 13-6 lead and went on to win 15-11. Both teams hit below .100 for the game but Iowa's two service aces by Evelana Ornelas proved to be a deciding factor.
For the match Rood led the Spartans with a career-high 19 kills and 16 digs. Morley played a solid match with 10 kills on .474 hitting to go with a career-high seven digs and seven blocks. Hartley put together 14 kills, 13 digs and five blocks. As a team, the Spartans outhit Iowa .230-.183 for the match but were outblocked 17-16.
MSU hits the road next weekend, playing at Indiana and Penn State on Oct. 27 and 28.
