Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
11-8, 3-5Big Ten
Northwestern
15-4, 5-3Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | 21 | 24 | 18 | 0 |
| Michigan State | 25 | 26 | 25 | 3 |
Spartans Stun No. 20 Northwestern, 3-0
10/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 16, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State volleyball team (11-8, 3-5 Big Ten) picked up its first win over a nationally-ranked opponent on Saturday with a stellar 3-0 win over No. 20 Northwestern (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten). The Spartans handed NU its first 3-0 sweep of the season with the win today.
"I thought we showed a lot of heart tonight," said MSU head coach Cathy George. "We really came out strong in the first set and made sure to get the early momentum. In set two it was really great to see the team battle back after being in such a hole to take the set. The girls really showed in set three what this team is potentially made of, by taking the first six points in the set."
The Green and White started the match on a mission as it started with an early 5-1 lead in the first set. The Wildcats kept in the match as they pulled within one point at 8-7. The Spartans, however, pushed its lead to three at 13-10. With Michigan State leading by five at 17-12, NU got back within one at 17-16. MSU responded by taking four of the five next points, leading 21-17. The Wildcats went on a 3-1 run to make it 22-21 before the Spartans finished the first set with three straight points to make the score 25-21. Junior Kyndra Abron (Livonia, Mich.) and red-shirt freshman Alexis Mathews (Detroit, Mich.) each had four kills in the opening set.
Early in set two, the Spartans found themselves in a bit of a hole as they trailed Northwestern, 6-2. MSU got within two points after a 4-2 run, making the score 8-6. Michigan State kept it close at 12-10 before NU pulled away with a four-point lead at 20-16. The Green and White fought back to get within one at 21-20 before tying the set for the first time at 23-23. MSU forced set point at 24-23, however Northwestern broke set point at 24-24. Michigan State finally closed out the set at 26-24. Red-shirt junior Jenilee Rathje (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) had a team-best five kills on the set.
Following intermission, Michigan State came out with a point to prove as it took the first six points of the set. The Spartans maintained their six-point lead as the score became 10-4 in favor of MSU. With offensive control of the set, MSU kept strong as it pushed the lead to nine at 20-11. However, a 4-1 run brought NU within five at 21-16. Michigan State only allowed Northwestern to score an additional two points before ending the set at 25-18. Senior Megan Schatzle (Monroe, Mich.) led all Spartans with three kills in the final set.
Offensively, the Spartans saw even distribution as both Rathje and Schatzle recorded 10 kills on 19 attacks for the night. Freshman Kristen Kelsay (Wheaton, Ill.) and junior Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.) recorded 20 and 21 assists, respectively. Junior Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) led the team with 14 digs, while senior Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.) chipped in another 11. Rathje was the queen of the net with four blocks and Abron was also strong with her three. As a team, MSU out blocked the Wildcats, 6-3.
The Spartans will travel to Purdue on Friday, Oct. 22 for their first of four-straight road contests at 7 p.m. The following night, MSU will battle Indiana on the Big Ten Network. The match against the Hoosiers will begin at 8 p.m.
