Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
12-12, 4-9
Penn State
26-0, 14-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Michigan State | 20 | 11 | 18 | 0 |
Volleyball Falls to No. 1 Penn State, 3-0
11/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 7, 2008
Volleyball Coverage
• Cathy
• Heather
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The 2008 Michigan State volleyball team (12-12, 4-9 Big Ten) fell to No. 1 Penn State 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-18) Friday night at Jenison Field House. Two freshmen, Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) and Kyndra Abron (Livonia, Mich.), paced the Spartans with six kills apiece.
"I thought we played well and showed a lot of fight in the first and third sets," head coach Cathy George said. "It is always good to play a team like Penn State because that is where we want to be, and when you see them play it gives you an idea of what you need to do to compete at that level."
The Spartans came out of the gates and went punch-for-punch with the top-ranked Nittany Lions. The Spartans jumped out to an early 2-1 advantage and kept within striking distance throughout the set. Despite trailing by as many as five points, MSU was able to fight back to pull within two points at 21-19 thanks to the effort of senior Heather McDaniel (Madison Heights, Mich.). McDaniel tallied two back-row kills to keep the pressure on. Ultimately, the Spartans would drop the first set 25-20. The 20 points scored by the Spartans in the first set marked only the 15th time in 75 sets this season that a team has scored 20 or more points in a set against Penn State.
McDaniel turned in a spirited effort from the back row, posting two kills and three digs in the first set while Her .500 hitting percentage was a team-best. Zlabis led the Spartans with three kills. Three other Spartans - Abron, Megan Schatzle (Monroe, Mich.) and Mischelle Nelson (Naperville, Ill.) - added two kills apiece. Freshman Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.) dished out 11 assists and posted two service aces.
Penn State jumped out to a quick 6-0 advantage to start the second set and would not look back. The Spartans struggled with their attack in the second set, tallying just six kills on 31 attacks. Through two sets, libero Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.) led the team with eight digs.
Coming out of intermission, the Spartans showed the fight that they had in the opening frame. The Spartans kept the set close until the 20-18 mark. During that span, the Spartan attack was as efficient as it had been all match, and the team capitalized on several miscues from the Nittany Lions. But the Spartans were unable to stop the PSU attack and lost the set, 25-18.
McDaniel finished the match with five kills while Emro assisted on all 28 Spartan kills. Redshirt freshman Vineece Verdun (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) led the team with a .300 hitting percentage and added five kills.
The Spartans will return to action tomorrow night to take on Indiana. The match is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start at Jenison Field House. Live audio and video featuring John Kreger, along with live stats came be found at www.msuspartans.com. Saturday's match against Indiana will mark the end of a silent auction that will benefit the MSU Pediatric and Adolescent Hematology/Oncology Clinic, the clinic that has played a critical role in the treatment of Adalin Farnum, the daughter of women's soccer associate head coach Tammy
