Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Northwestern
Spartan Volleyball Downs Northwestern, 3-1
10/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 23, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Kim Schram had 29 kills and 12 digs in Michigan State's 3-1 win against Northwestern Saturday, while teammate Maggie Griffin had 64 assists, 11 digs and a team-best four blocks on the night. The Spartans' 30-24, 30-27, 26-30, 30-25 win snapped a six-match MSU losing streak. State is now 7-11 on the season and 2-8 in the Big Ten, while the Wildcats are 7-13 overall and 2-8 in league play.
Libero Marley Bellwood had 19 digs for MSU, as well as two assists in the match, while Michelle Kopka hit .333 on the night with 18 kills. Kopka also had eight digs and a block. Diana Steplyk started the match for State, and posted 11 digs, two kills and a service ace. As a team, the Spartans hit .228, but out-dug Northwestern, 66-55.
"I'm pleased with the win," said head coach Chuck Erbe. "We had a solid serve-pass game tonight, and that helps tremendously. We persevered to win that fourth game, which was good to see."
MSU was in control of the first game throughout, though the Saprtans didn't lead by more than five points until late in the match. MSU took the 30-24 victory through eight kills from Schram and five from Kopka, while Griffin had 16 assists in the game. Bellwood had eight digs to start the match, as the Spartans hit .250 (17K-7E-40TA) in the game.
The second game had 14 ties and four lead changes, before MSU stepped up to win, 30-27. Steplyk had a three-point service run to put State up, 26-24, and from there MSU did not trail in the game. Schram and Kopka each had five kills in the game, and Katie Johnson and Brooke Langston each added three. Griffin assisted on 19 of MSU's 22 kills and she added three block assists.
Northwestern avoided the sweep with a third-game 30-26 win in which it hit .333 (17K-4E-39) to MSU's .106 (16K-11E-47TA) attack percentage. Schram led MSU with nine kills, Kopka added six, and Johnson had State's only other kill in the game, though Griffin assisted on each of the trio's kills.
State won the match with a 30-25 win in the fourth game, where once again, Schram led the team with seven kills on .357 hitting. Griffin had 13 assists, and Bellwood and Schram had six digs each. The deciding game saw six tie scores and five lead changes.
The Spartans host Michigan on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in Jenison Field House, and take on Illinois in East Lansing on Friday, Oct. 29, also at 7 p.m.
