Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Indiana
Spartan Volleyball Knocks Off Hoosiers, 3-0
10/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 1, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball (6-5, 1-2 Big Ten) posted its first Big Ten win of the season, defeating Indiana, 3-0, in East Lansing on Friday night. Redshirt freshman Jessica Hohl established a career high with eight kills and senior Brooke Langston had eight block assists and 10 kills, hitting .643. Senior Kim Schram led the team with 17 kills, while freshman Maggie Griffin topped the Spartans in assists, with 41.
"I watched the team coalesce in practice this week," said MSU head coach Chuck Erbe. "They really executed well to get the win. It was a new combination of girls on the floor and given our timeframe, I was pleased with how well they adapted to a real opponent, outside of practice."
Indiana proved to be a persistent opponent from the start of game one, establishing a quick lead and testing the Spartans' ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities during long rallies. The first several minutes of the game were characterized by back-and-forth play and the score remained close until the Hoosiers took off with a series of kills, elevating Indiana to a 12-7 lead.
From that point, the Hoosiers successfully held off the Spartans by as many as six points for much of the contest. Still, MSU refused to give up and, while Indiana maintained a healthy 21-17 lead, the Spartans noticeably upped their level of aggression.
"When Indiana got into the 20s, we really picked up our game," Erbe said. "It was great to see Jessica (Hohl) come on in the way that she did, when the pressure was on."
A kill by freshman Katie Johnson closed the scoring gap to 21-18 and sparked MSU to a gradual climb toward the win, inciting the crowd to rise to its feet in celebration. MSU narrowed its deficit margin to three points, then two, and finally managed to tie the game at 24-24 with a kill by Hohl.
Indiana battled in a well-fought remainder of the game, but MSU managed to keep the Hoosiers at 27 points for a 30-27 Spartan victory.
A heightened level of competition was apparent in game two, but MSU used momentum from its initial win to keep the score within one point throughout the vast majority of play. In mid-competition, Indiana managed to establish a four-point lead, but MSU quickly stopped them with three consecutive kills, the first by freshman Maggie Griffin and the subsequent two by Schram.
The score climbed, point-by-point, and culminated with a 27-27 tie, in the would-be turning point of game two. It was then that MSU decidedly stepped up and took advantage of two Hoosier attack errors.
With MSU leading, 29-27, Schram nailed the game-point kill, again bringing an enthused crowd to its feet, for a 30-27 Michigan State win in game two.
After two close contests in games one and two, the on-court battle only intensified in game three. MSU continued to execute on key scoring opportunities and a synchronized Spartan defense prevented Indiana from catching the quick lead that MSU established.
At one point, State led by seven points, boasting a 20-13 lead over the Hoosiers. The Spartans led by as many as eight points (23-15) on their way to capturing the three-game match victory. In an attempt to retaliate, Indiana made a run to come within four points of MSU, but Langston made an emphatic kill to regain the Spartans' momentum. State went on to win the game, 30-22.
Next, MSU faces Purdue for a 7 p.m. contest in East Lansing's Jenison Field House.
