Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
10-5, 2-2Big Ten
Penn State
16-0, 4-0Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 11 | 19 | 14 | 0 |
| Penn State | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball Falls at No. 1 Penn State, 3-0
10/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 4, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The 2008 Michigan State volleyball team (10-5, 2-2) fell to No. 1 and defending national champion Penn State 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-14) Saturday night at Rec Hall. Sophomore outside hitter Megan Schatzle (Monroe, Mich.) and junior middle blocker Vanessa King (Spring Lake, Mich.) led the Spartans with six kills apiece.
The Spartans took advantage of several Penn State service errors to keep the score close during the onset of the match. The Spartans were able to pull within 11-8 early in the set, but an 14-3 PSU run would put the Spartans away, 25-11. Schatzle led the Spartans with two kills in the first set while freshman setter Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.) led the team with three digs.
The Spartans continued to fight in the second set, as the back row, anchored by libero Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.) kept the Spartans close. After making several adjustments between sets, MSU used the play of the back row to stay with PSU at 7-5. Karaba and freshman Carli Weiler (Oak Lawn, Ill.) each tallied three digs in that span. The Spartans took advantage of an improved attack and some Penn State mistakes, and found themselves within four at 19-15. But the Penn State attack would prove, once again, to be too efficient for the Spartans as they would take the second set 25-19.
MSU was much better in nearly every statistical area in the second set. The Spartans were able to tally 12 kills in the second set, nine of which were assisted by Emro. A trio of Spartans, Karaba, Weiler and Emro, finished the set with four digs apiece. King seemed to find her stride in the second set as well, posting three kills. After two, Schatlze led all Spartans with five kills. After hitting -.269 in the first set, the Spartans were able to hit in positive numbers in the second, tallying a .167 hitting percentage.
The Spartans looked to rebound at the onset of the third set. With a spirited team effort to start, MSU was able to play even with the Nittany Lions at 9-9. Freshman Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) was able to tally two kills in that span, as did Vineece Verdun (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and Kyndra Abron (Livonia, Mich.). From that point on, Penn State would outscore the Spartans 16-5, winning the final set, 25-14.
Emro finished the match with 20 helpers while Karaba added nine digs to her ledger, giving her 36 on the weekend. Abron pitched in five kills from the left side while Zlabis posted four.
The Spartans will return home next weekend as they play host to Northwestern on Friday and Wisconsin on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Jenison Field House. Live stats and live video/audio, featuring the voice of the Spartans, John Kreger, can be found at www.msuspartans.com.
