Michigan State University
Eastern Michigan
Volleyball Falls in Five to Eastern Michigan, 3-2
9/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 11, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State volleyball team (6-3) fell to Eastern Michigan (10-1), 3-2, in the final match of the 2010 Spartan Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 11. Three Spartans recorded double-doubles on the night, led by red-shirt junior Jenilee Rathje's (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) 20 kills and 12 digs, both season bests.
Eastern Michigan got out on the Spartans in the first set 4-1, before the Spartans managed to take the lead at 7-6 after a kill from junior Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.). MSU then began to trade service with the Eagles until EMU began to pull away at 12-11. After calling a timeout at 16-13, MSU went on a 3-0 lead to tie the set at 16. The two teams once again continued to trade service until the Eagles closed out the set by a score of 25-22. Rathje led all attackers on the set with five kills of seven attacks.
The Spartans shook off the first set as they got ahead early on 6-3 over EMU. The Green and White would maintain its lead as it brought the lead to five with the score to 17-12. The Eagles attempted to get back into the set after going on a 6-4 run to pull back within three points at 21-19. That run forced MSU to call a timeout. Following the timeout, the Spartans would take four of the final eight points to end the set, 25-23. Rathje once again led the team with five kills on seven attacks on the set.
MSU fell behind early in the third set to Eastern Michigan 6-2. The Spartans fired back with a 15-4 run to bring the score to 17-10. The Spartan run saw themselves scoring nine straight points before an MSU service error. With the six point lead at 17-11, the Spartans kept control of the set as they took eight of 13 points to end the set by a score of 25-16. Junior Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) paced the MSU attack with five kills.
The Eagles once again got on the Spartans in the fourth set, 5-3. MSU rallied back to tie the set back up at seven, before experiencing their first lead of the set at 8-7. After tying at both eights and nines, EMU began to slowly pull away from the Spartans, getting out to a 12-9 lead before the Green and White called a timeout. MSU responded following the timeout by going on a 7-5, pulling back within one at 17-16. Eventually, the Spartans tied the set once again at 18, before Eastern Michigan slowly began to pull away from MSU, taking the fourth set 25-21. Senior Megan Schatzle (Monroe, Mich.) ended the set with a team-best seven kills.
With offensive control, EMU got ahead of the Spartans early on in the fifth, leading 5-2. Michigan State was only able to pull within two points at 8-6, before the Eagles put them away to close out the set 15-10. Rathje once again led all players with three kills on the set.
Aside from Rathje's double-double, the Spartans also saw Emro, Schatzle and Zlabis end the night with double-doubles. Emro quarterbacked the offense with 34 assists and tied a season-best digs with 12. Schatzle recorded 19 kills and a career-best 13 digs, while Zlabis tallied 12 kills and 15 digs. Schatzle also tied a career-high service aces with two. Emro was the top defender at the net for MSU with her four blocks on the night. Rathje and freshman Alexis Mathews (Detroit, Mich.) each chipped in with three blocks. Senior Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.) dug 11 balls for the Spartans. Freshman Kristen Kelsay (Wheaton, Ill.) added 33 assists to the MSU total.
In the consolation contest, Eastern Illinois (4-3) downed Clemson (7-2) by a score of 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-22).
MSU returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 14 when it faces Oakland at 7 p.m. inside Jenison Field House.
All-Tournament Team
Rachel Iaquaniello (EMU) - MVP
Ashley Mason (EMU)
Haley Stein (EMU)
Jenilee Rathje (MSU)
Megan Schatzle (MSU)
Natalie Patzin (Clemson)
Kelsey Orr (EIU)
