Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Michigan
No. 18 MSU Volleyball Swept By Michigan
10/9/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 9, 2002
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The No. 18 Michigan State volleyball team had a rough outing at Cliff Keen Arena Wednesday night, falling to Michigan, 30-25, 30-20, 30-24. The loss gives Michigan (10-5, 4-1 Big Ten) an edge in winning back the State Pride Flag, which Michigan State (11-4, 3-2) has claimed the past two seasons and seven of the 12 years the flag has been awarded to the winner of the season series.
Sophomore Kim Schram (London, Ont.) had 12 kills to lead the Spartan offense, while senior Kyla Smith (Comox, B.C.) and junior Jenny Rood (Ada) had 11 kills each. Smith added a team-best eight digs, while junior Nikki Colson (Lincoln, Neb.) had 37 assists.
Michigan dominated statistically, hitting .365 for the match while MSU hit at a .185 clip. Michigan held advantages in kills (52-44), digs (41-31), blocks (9-3) and assists (46-40). MSU's kill, block and assist totals were season-lows, while Michigan became the first team to hit better than .300 against the Spartans this year.
"We just got beat. They were better," stated MSU head coach Chuck Erbe. "The only way you beat a team like that is to be consistent and we weren't.
MSU started well in game one, taking a 4-1 lead on a Smith kill, but Michigan responded with a 9-1 run to take a 10-5 lead which it never relinquished. The lead grew as high as eight points on three occasions, with the last time being at 19-11. MSU clawed back, closing within 23-20 on a Rood kill. The Spartans inched within two points at 26-24 on a Schram kill but got no closer. The Wolverines scored four of the last five points to win the opening game. Michigan hit .395 in the opening game, pounding 19 kills, while the Spartans collected 15 kills while hitting .244.
Michigan again had command through most of the second game, although by a smaller margin. MSU held an early 3-2 lead but Michigan took back the lead and forged ahead by as many as three at 12-9. The Spartans rallied to even the score at 15 on a Rood kill, but the Wolverines later scored four straight points to move ahead 21-17. After a Schram kill, Michigan scored seven of the next eight points to take a 28-19 advantage and cruised home from there to take a two-games-to-none lead. The Spartans slipped to a .027 attack percentage, accumulating only 12 kills, while Michigan hit .333 and blocked five shots.
Game three was a close affair with neither team leading by more than three points through the early going. MSU held the lead for much of the first half of the game, taking a 6-3 edge on a Smith kill, but Michigan scored the next three points to even the score. The Spartans reclaimed an 11-9 edge on a kill by Rood, but Michigan later went on a 5-1 run to open a 19-16 lead. The Wolverines slowly pulled away from there, hitting over .300 (.361) for the third straight game.
Michigan State has not won at Michigan since 1998.
Michigan State plays the second of four straight road matches when it visits ninth-ranked Penn State Saturday at 7 p.m.
