Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Indiana
MSU Volleyball Swept At Indiana
11/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 8, 2002
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Michigan State volleyball team suffered a setback to its hopes of finishing at or near the top of the Big Ten standings, falling at Indiana, 30-27, 30-26, 30-26 Friday night. The Spartans, who had won eight straight matches against Indiana and 17 of their last 18, fell to 15-8 overall and 7-6 in the Big Ten, while the Hoosiers moved into a tie in the conference standings with MSU, improving to 17-8 and 7-6.
Junior Jenny Rood (Ada) pounded 11 kills to lead MSU, as she was the only Spartan to reach double figures. Senior Angela Morley (Holland) and redshirt freshman Megan Wallin (Sarasota, Fla.) had nine kills each, while senior Kyla Smith (Comox, B.C.) added eight. Morley added four total blocks, and junior Emmy Miller (Okemos) had a team-high 10 digs and junior Nikki Colson (Lincoln, Neb.) had 40 assists and nine digs.
The Spartans struggled offensively all night, hitting just .193 while Indiana hit .295. Indiana had 53 kills to 45 for MSU, and had eight service aces to five for MSU. The Spartans did outdig the Hoosiers, 46-42, and had a slight 5-4 edge in blocks.
In the opening game, neither team could gain much of an advantage until Indiana scored four straight points to take a 15-12 lead. MSU rallied to knot the score at 17 on a block by Rood and Morley, and after the Spartans took a brief 19-18 lead, Indiana scored four straight points to jump back on top, and the Hoosiers never trailed again. MSU hit only .176 in the game, collecting only 13 kills led by four from Smith.
Indiana kept the momentum in game two, rolling to a 10-2 lead. The Spartans still trailed, 17-9, when MSU began to chip away at the lead. Two kills by Rood followed by a Morley kill cut the lead to 20-18. The Spartans would get within two points on four more occasions, but could get no closer as Indiana took a two-games-to-none lead. MSU improved to 17 kills in game two, including six by Rood, but nine attack errors and three service errors proved costly as MSU hit just .170 while Indiana attacked at a .386 clip.
Michigan State got off to a better start in the third game, as a block and an ace by Wallin gave MSU a 5-2 lead. Indiana bounced back to take an 11-9 lead, but MSU scored six of the next seven to jump back ahead 15-12 after a Smith kill. The Hoosiers rallied again, scoring five straight points to take a 22-19 lead. Indiana led 24-21 when kills by Wallin and Scrham ended a string of three straight points to tie the score at 24, but Indiana scored the next four points and went on to win the game and the match.
Colson's 40 assists allowed her to become the fourth Spartan to accumulate 2,500 career assists. Colson now has 2,524 career assists. Morley's four blocks made her the first Spartan and fifth player in Big Ten history to amass 600 career total blocks. Morley's career total now stands at 602.
MSU continues its road trip when the Spartans visit Ohio State Saturday at 7 p.m.
