Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
11-5, 3-2
Northwestern
6-11, 0-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | 17 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 12 | 2 |
| Michigan State | 25 | 20 | 21 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Volleyball Wins 3-2 Over Northwestern
10/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 10, 2008
Coverage:
George Podcast | Schatzle Podcast | King Podcast
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The 2008 Michigan State volleyball squad (11-5, 3-2) continued Big Ten play this evening by topping Northwestern 3-2 (25-17, 20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12) at Jenison Field House. Freshman Kyndra Abron (Livonia, Mich.) paced the Spartans with 13 kills while hitting a team-best .550. The Spartans won the final two sets of the match to pull off the come-from-behind victory.
The match started with the Spartans dominating in the first set en-route to a 25-17 victory. Freshman Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) and junior Vanessa King (Spring Lake, Mich.) led the way for the Spartans with four kills apiece, while freshman setter Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.) handed out 13 assists. The key to the first set was the Spartans ability to keep the ball off the floor. Led by sophomore libero Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.), the Spartans tallied 19 digs in the first set with Karaba posting nine of the team's 19.
The win in the first-set win marked the 14th time in 16 matches that the Spartans have opened a match with a win in the opening set this season. Their only losses came at Indiana and Penn State last week.
The second and third sets saw the Spartans struggle with unforced errors, but the team rallied behind the play of King, Abron and sophomore Megan Schatzle (Monroe, Mich.) in the fourth set. Abron came alive in the fourth, tooling blocks and pounding the ball for six kills. In the set, Abron tallied seven attacks and hit .857. Schatzle added three kills while King posted two more as the Spartans would win the fourth set in thrilling fashion, 25-23, setting up a decisive fifth set.
The fifth set opened with a spectacular play by freshman defensive specialist Carli Weiler (Oak Lawn, Ill.), setting the tone for the final set. Weiler, on the Wildcat's first attack, flew to the front row to dig a tipped ball. Schatzle would ultimately earn the kill on the rally, giving the Spartans an early 1-0 lead. MSU tallied 10 kills in the final set while hitting .444, yet service errors kept the Wildcats in the set. With the score at 8-7 in favor of Northwestern, the Spartans would finish the set on an 8-4 run, winning 15-12. The win gives the Spartans their first five-set victory of the season.
Karaba finished the match with 21 digs while Emro handed out 54 helpers along with seven kills. Schatzle finished the match with 14 kills while King added 13. Zlabis also finished in double-digits, registering 11 kills on the night.
The Spartans will play host to No. 21 Wisconsin tomorrow night at Jenison Field House. Live audio/video and live stats will be provided at www.msuspartans.com.
