Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Penn State
No. 9 Penn State Sweeps No. 18 Spartan Volleyball
10/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 12, 2002
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The No. 18 Michigan State volleyball team fell to ninth-ranked Penn State in three games (30-19, 30-24, 30-27) Saturday night (Oct. 12) before a crowd of 1,215 at Rec Hall. MSU is now 11-5 (3-3 Big Ten) for the season, while the Nittany Lions improve to 16-1 (6-0).
Senior Angela Morley (Holland) recorded her 800th career kill in the loss. Morley collected 10 kills and hit .438 for the match, while adding five blocks (one solo, four assists). She is now only six block assists away from setting a new school mark (Morley: 489; record: 494).
Junior Jenny Rood (Ada) contributed a team-high 12 kills with a .409 hitting percentage (12 kills, three errors, 22 attempts). Rood has now hit for double-figure kills in 12 of the 14 matches she has played in this season. Junior Nikki Colson (Lincoln, Neb.), who is sixth in the nation in assists, dished out 39 in the match.
The Nittany Lions used a balanced attack in the victory, as three players had at least nine kills. Ashley Pederson of PSU had match-highs in both kills (14) and hitting percentage (.500). Penn State - the top ranked team in the NCAA in hitting percentage - had another solid offensive night, hitting .310 with 47 kills. The Lions, who also lead the Big Ten in blocks, outmatched the Spartans at the net with 12 team blocks to MSU's eight.
Penn State came out strong and took game one, 30-19. Morley hit a stellar .857 (six kills, no errors, seven attempts) in the first frame, but the Nittany Lion defense held MSU to a .091 hitting percentage as a team, including four blocks.
The Spartans looked more in sync in the second stanza, but still fell 30-24 to the Lions. PSU held a three-to-four point advantage most of the game before it went on an 11-5 run to close out the second frame. Rood came alive for MSU, however, as she erupted for five kills after only posting one in the opening game.
It appeared the Spartans might prevent Penn State from the sweep in game three, as MSU held the lead for most of the game and had a lead as large as five points. The Lions took their first lead of the game at 23-22, but the Spartans battled back as each teams traded points until the score was knotted at 27. PSU came through in the end, scoring the final three points, capped by a Robyn Guokas and Mishka Levy block to end the match. Rood had another solid game, hitting .750 with six kills in the third stanza.
MSU returns to action with two more road matches next weekend. The Spartans travel to No. 15 Wisconsin Friday, Oct. 18, and Northwestern, Saturday, Oct. 19. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CDT.
