Michigan State University Athletics
2005 Volleyball Wrap-Up
11/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 29, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Spartan volleyball team concluded the 2005 regular season with a 12-18 overall record and a 5-15 mark in Big Ten conference play. The 2005 campaign marked the first season for head coach Cathy George and her staff, leading the Green and White behind a first-year setter, new playing surface and refreshed attitude. Kicking off the year with a blistering 4-0 start and its fifth consecutive Spartan Invitational title, MSU bettered its 2005 mark to 5-0 after a win over Temple at the Pizza Hut Jayhawk Invitational in early September.
State opened the season with four straight sweeps - vs. Kent State in the home opener on Aug. 27, and then vs. Wichita State, UCF and Ball State at the 2005 Spartan Invitational. MSU's Katie Johnson would average 7.44 kills per game during the Spartan Invite. The mark propelled her to Most Valuable Player accolades in tournament action and a spot among the national elite in the kills per game category. Setter Mickey Davis and Nicole Colaluca would also earn All-Tournament honors competing at the annual home event.
Facing a Kansas team that would eventually make its way into the nation's top 25, MSU dropped a 3-0 decision to the Jayhawks on Sept. 9, before a five game victory vs. Virginia Commonwealth in the final match-up of the Pizza Hut Jayhawk Invite on Sept. 10. The five game match vs. VCU would be the first of State's 10 five game contests in 2005. For their efforts, Johnson and Colaluca would be named to the All-Tournament team, the second consecutive week with such an honor. State would continue early season tournament action at the Orange and Green Challenge hosted by the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. Sept. 17-19.
Its first contest against a nationally-ranked opponent, MSU would fall 3-2 to then ninth-ranked Louisville in the opening match of the two day event. The Spartans would defeat host Miami 3-1, however another five game bout would see MSU fall 3-2 against Sacramento State on Sept. 17. Colaluca would post a season and career-best 45 digs vs. the Hornets, a mark that would lead the nation for weeks to come. Johnson and Colaluca again garnered all-tournament accolades for the third straight week as the Spartans prepared for the Big Ten season opener.
State welcomed in-state rival Michigan on Sept. 21 for the Big Ten conference season opener, a match that went the distance, as the Spartans fell 3-2 at home. The Green and White would hit the road for three of the next five matches, finishing the stretch with a 2-3 record defeating Indiana and Iowa, and falling to Minnesota, Purdue and Illinois. Riding a two match losing streak, the Spartans traveled to face nationally ranked powerhouses Ohio State and Penn State Oct. 14 and 15. MSU took the opening game vs. the Buckeyes 30-26, however OSU battled back to take the match 3-1, followed by a 3-0 sweep at the hands of the then fourth-ranked Nittany Lions.
Wisconsin and Northwestern would travel to Jenison Field House continuing conference competition Oct. 21 and 22 respectively. State took the Badgers, ranked seventh in the CSTV/AVCA Oct. 17th poll, to the fifth game before Wisconsin pulled out the 3-2 victory, 15-9 in the fifth set of the match. A win vs. Northwestern on Oct. 22 halted the five game losing streak, as State split weekend match-ups.
A trip to Illinois and Purdue saw MSU fall to 3-9 in conference play after dropping both contests on the road. The Nov. 4 match-up with Iowa saw the Green and White take the 15-11 game five win and 3-2 match victory, improving its overall record to 11-12 for the season with NCAA post season tournament hopes still alive. State took a game one victory vs. Minnesota in the Nov. 5 match-up, however Minnesota rallied for the 3-1 season series sweep.
Entering the Nov. 9th contest vs. Michigan, MSU's overall record stood at 11-13 with six matches left in the 2005 regular season. Knowing that a .500 overall record would give State a solid chance to participate in the NCAA tournament, MSU aimed to avenge the Sept. 19 loss with a victory at Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor. Facing a tough playing environment, Michigan managed the 3-0 win, sweeping MSU in the final match-up of 2005. With the series sweep, Michigan again claimed the State Pride Flag for the fourth consecutive season.
The Spartans would sweep Indiana on Nov. 12 for its 12th win of 2005, and fifth win in Big Ten play. The win would be the last for MSU, as State would drop four straight contests against Northwestern, Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State in the final two weekends of regular season action. The 12-18 mark was not enough for post season play, the second consecutive season MSU was unable to make an NCAA tournament appearance.
Many bright spots shine through in 2005, as three Spartans ranked in the national top 30 throughout season-long competition. Outside hitter Katie Johnson ranked as high as first in the nation in the kills per game category, while Davis and Colaluca ranked in assists per game and digs per game respectively throughout the year. Four seniors played their final match in the Green and White in 2005; Marley Bellwood, Mickey Davis, Brooke Langston and Megan Wallin made their final stand against Ohio State on Nov. 26 at Jenison Field House.
New records were also set in 2005, as libero Nicole Colaluca tallied 628 digs shattering the former single-season record of 439 set by Veronica Morales in 1997. Her 5.41 digs per game was also a new record and currently ranks her first on the all-time career charts as well. Katie Johnson's 4.95 kills per game is fourth in the single-season records books, while Davis' 1,510 assists in 2005 is the fourth-highest single-season total in Spartan history.
The Spartans will begin training for the spring season ahead, as George begins her second year at the helm of the program. Continue to check msuspartans.com for the upcoming spring, and 2006 schedules, as they become available.
