Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Wisconsin
Volleyball Falters At Wisconsin, 3-1
11/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 20, 2004
MADISON, Wis. - Meghan Schoen had 18 kills and libero Marley Bellwood added 25 digs as Michigan State volleyball fell, 3-1 (30-20, 28-30, 27-30, 22-30), at Wisconsin Saturday. The Spartans fall to 12-14 overall and 7-11 in the Big Ten, while Wisconsin improves to 18-8 overall and 12-6 in conference play.
Maggie Griffin had 57 assists and seven digs on the night. Libero Marley Bellwood posted 25 digs for the Spartans, her second-best performance of the season. Schoen led State with 18 kills and seven blocks, while Kim Schram had 15 kills and 10 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. Brooke Langston (12 kills) and Katie Johnson (13 kills) both hit double figures in the kills columnb, while Langston hit .429 on the night. Diana Steplyk added 13 digs and two assists of her own. As a team, the Spartans hit. 182 on the night with 12.0 blocks.
State came out strong in the first game, as it forced Wisconsin to take an early timeout at 8-3 before stretching to a 14-7 lead. Kopka had a three-point service run, and MSU led by as much as nine at 18-9 and by 10 at 23-13 and 26-16 before claiming the 30-20 first-game win. The Spartans hit .316 (17K-5E-38TA) and held UW to a .053 (10K-8E-38TA) attack percentage. Schoen had five kills on .333 hitting, while both Schram and Johnson contributed four kills in the game, Johnson's coming on .800 (4K-0E-5TA) hitting. Griffin had 13 assists and two kills. State posted three service aces, 18 digs and three blocks in the game.
The second game was much closer thoughout, as the Spartans maintained at least a two-point lead until Wisconsin closed the gap to one at 24-23. The Badgers tied the game at 28-28 on a service ace from Jill Odenthal, and went on to tie the match at a game apiece with a 30-28 score. Schram posted seven kills and Schoen added six of her own as State hit .333 (23K-7E-48TA) compared to UW's .410 (18K-2E-39TA). Langston had four kills, while Johnson and Kopka each had three. Griffin posted 20 assists, while Bellwood had eight digs. State had 16 digs and two service aces in the game.
The teams traded the lead early in the third game, with tie scores at every point until 7-7, when the Badgers pulled out to a 12-7 lead, thanks to a four-point service run from Jackie Simpson. From there, though, MSU fought back to within one at 13-12, and eventually tied the game at 16-16 before UW pulled out to a 21-18 lead. The Spartans tied it up at 21-21, and again at 25-25 and 27-27, though Wisconsin took the win, 30-27. Neither team hit well in the third game, as UW posted an .186 (16K-8E-43TA) attack percentage and MSU hit .024 (14K-13E-42TA). Schoen had four kills, and Johnson and Langston each had three. Schram added two kills and three digs. Bellwood posted seven digs, while Diana Steplyk had five in the game. The Spartans had five team blocks, as Schoen had three and Kopka, Langston and Griffin each added two.
The fourth game saw a see-saw battle throughout much of the first half, with neither team leading by more than two points until Wisconsin went on a seven-point run to take the 22-15 lead. Schoen and Johnson each had three kills in the final game, while Schram posted two. State hit .063 in the fourth game (14K-11E-48TA), to Wisconsin's .265 (18K-5E-49TA).
MSU concludes its 2004 regular season with a final home weekend, Nov. 26-27. State hosts No. 4 Penn State at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26 and takes on No. 8 Ohio State at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 27. Both matches will be played in Jenison Field House on the Michigan State campus.
Wisconsin 3, Michigan State 1 (Madison, Wis.)Michigan State 30 28 27 22Wisconsin 20 30 30 30
Michigan State K E TA Pct.Game 1 17 5 38 .316Game 2 23 7 48 .333Game 3 14 13 42 .024Game 4 14 11 48 .063TOTAL 68 36 176 .182
Wisconsin K E TA Pct.Game 1 10 8 38 .053Game 2 18 2 39 .410Game 3 16 8 43 .186Game 4 18 5 49 .265TOTAL 62 23 169 .231
