Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Illinois
Spartan Volleyball Stymies No. 21 Illinois, 3-1
10/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 29, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Brooke Langston had 14 kills and hit .619, while teammate Meghan Schoen posted 18 kills with a .708 attack percentage as Michigan State volleyball defeated No. 21 Illinois, 3-1 (30-26, 22-30, 30-24, 30-22), in Jenison Field House Friday. State's record moves to 9-11 on the year and 4-8 in Big Ten play, while Illinois is now 14-6 overall, 6-5 in league matches. The win marks State's third consecutive victory.
Libero Marley Bellwood had a career-best 27 digs on the night, while setter Maggie Griffin had 61 assists. Langston's hitting numbers on the night were 14 kills and one error on 21 attacks, and she added six blocks; Schoen had 18 kills and one error on 24 attacks to go along with five blocks. Freshman Katie Johnson posted 17 kills with a .324 attack percentage, while Kim Schram had 13 kills, 10 digs and five blocks.
"This team is playing very well right now," said head coach Chuck Erbe. "They're playing like a team and really clicking. They're a very strong unit right now and I'm pleased with the win."
The Spartans hit .457 in the first game (20K-4E-35TA), led by Schram and Schoen's five kills apiece. Langston added four in the game, while Bellwood had seven digs. Griffin posted 18 assists. Illinois hit .471 in the first game, though the Spartans took the win, 30-26.
Illinois took control of the second game, and led throughout the majority of the contest to post a 30-22 win. The Illini held MSU to a .179 attack percentage (16K-9E-39TA), while hitting .350 (18K-4E-40TA) for themselves. Schoen and Johnson each had five kills, while Griffin posed 13 assists. State trailed by just two points at 14-12 before Illinois' Rase Virsilaite rattled off a four-point service run that gave Illinois a 18-12 lead.
State bounced back in game three with a 30-24 win. MSU held Illinois to a .182 attack percent (18K-10E-44TA), while hitting .244 (16K-6E-41TA). Johnson had four kills and Kopka and Schram each had three. MSU held a slim 25-23 lead before taking the game, thanks in large part to a three-point service run from Kopka.
MSU dominated the fourth and final game, 30-22. The Spartans hit .385 (18K-3E-39TA) and held UI to .114 (14K-10E-44TA) in the game. Langston hit .857 with six kills on seven attacks, while Schoen had four kills on five attacks. Griffin chipped in 17 assists, while Bellwood posted eight digs. Kopka added four blocks, including a block solo, in the game. The final game of the match saw just two ties and two lead changes.
The Spartans travel to Purdue on Friday, Nov. 5 for a 7 p.m. match before taking on Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., on Saturday, Nov. 6.
Michigan State 3, No. 21 Illinois 1 (East Lansing, Mich.)Illinois K E TA Pct.Game 1 18 2 34 .471Game 2 18 4 40 .350Game 3 18 10 44 .182Game 4 15 10 44 .114TOTAL 69 26 162 .265
Michigan State K E TA Pct.Game 1 20 4 35 .457Game 2 16 9 39 .179Game 3 16 6 41 .244Game 4 18 3 39 .385TOTAL 70 22 154 .312
