Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Georgetown
No. 15 MSU Volleyball Opens Season By Sweeping Georgetown
8/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 30, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State volleyball team opened the 2002 season in impressive fashion, sweeping Georgetown, 30-25, 30-13, 30-24, Friday in the eighth annual Coca-Cola/MSU Volleyball Classic. The Spartans put on a stellar offensive display, hitting .424 for the match while pounding 49 kills in three games.
Junior Sara Villwock, making her Michigan State debut after transferring from Colorado, made a strong first impression on MSU fans by posting a double-double with team-highs of 14 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Kim Schram also reached double-digits in kills with 11 for the Spartans.
"We were ready to play. This team has been ready to play for a week," said MSU head coach Chuck Erbe. "Georgetown is a solid team, but we were more of a team. There aren't any weaknesses on this team."
Michigan State hit .419 or better in each game, while limiting Georgetown to a .158 hitting percentage. The Spartans collected seven service aces, including four from senior Emily Engel, while allowing only one. MSU also outblocked the Hoyas, 9-2, including five total blocks from senior Angela Morley, who also added seven kills in nine attempts.
Junior Nikki Colson dished out 40 assists for MSU, while junior Jenny Rood added seven kills and four total blocks. Junior Emmy Miller, playing the libero position which is new to college volleyball this season, added six digs.
Michigan State overcame a tentative early start after trailing 10-7 in the opening game. The Spartans bounced back to score seven of the next nine points, three coming on kills by Villwock, to take a 14-12 lead and never looked back. MSU stretched the advantage as high as 27-20, before a Morley kill finally put away Georgetown, 30-25.
The Spartans dominated the second game, hitting .423 while Georgetown hit -.152. MSU raced to a 9-2 lead, and kept building onto the advantage from there. A service ace by senior Kyla Smith capped a 10-2 run that gave Michigan State a 25-10 lead. The Spartans finished the game with a block from Morley and Schram.
MSU continued its roll in game three. With the score tied 5-5, a Villwock kill started a 16-4 spurt that gave MSU a 21-9 cushion. Georgetown closed within 26-21, but could get no closer. Schram capped the match with a kill to gave MSU its sixth-straight season-opening win.
In the first match of the day, South Carolina swept Oakland, 30-16, 31-29, 30-20, behind 13 kills, six digs and five blocks from Cally Plummer.
Michigan State will continue action in the tournament Saturday, with a 10 a.m. match against Oakland and an 8 p.m. showdown against South Carolina.
