Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
4-2, 1-2HAL
Southern California
5-0, 2-0HAL
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Michigan State | 17 | 23 | 15 | 0 |
Volleyball Falls to No. 10 Southern California, 3-0
9/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 5, 2010
HONOLULU, Hawaii - The Michigan State volleyball team (4-2) closed out action at the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic on Saturday, Sept. 4, with a 3-0 loss to No. 10 Southern California (5-0). Junior Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) led the Spartans with nine kills on the night.
The Spartans struggled early against the Trojans after playing two five set matches the previous two nights. USC got out early in the first set with a 7-3 lead over MSU. The Spartans managed to go on a 4-2 run to make it, 9-7. After trailing 16-11, the Green and White pulled back within four, 20-16. Southern California proved to be too strong for the Spartans as it closed out the set by taking five of the six final points scored, bringing the score to 25-17.
Looking to get back into the match, MSU got out to an early 4-2 lead over the Trojans after senior Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.) recorded a service ace. A kill from junior Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.) increased the MSU lead to three with the score 8-5. USC went on an 11-4 run to get out in front, 16-12. MSU found itself down by one, 21-20, as USC called a timeout after a long rally that ended with a kill from Zlabis. Emro recorded another kill to tie the match at 23, forcing the Trojans into another timeout. Southern California closed out the second set by taking the final two points to bring the score to 25-23.
USC once again got out early on the Spartans in the third and final set, leading 7-4. MSU was unable to gain ground as the Trojans increased its lead to 14-7. Michigan State pulled back within five after USC recorded a service error, making the score 18-13. Three straight Southern California points put the score at 21-13. The Spartans scored two points before the Trojans closed out the set at 25-15.
Emro led the team with 18 assists on the day, while freshman Kristen Kelsay (Wheaton, Ill.) also posted double digit assists with 10. Allyson Karaba was the top digger for MSU with nine total. Red-shirt freshman Alexis Mathews (Detroit, Mich.) led the team at the net with five blocks.
The Spartans return to action next weekend when they host their second tournament of the fall, the Spartan Invitational. MSU opens action on Friday, Sept. 10, when it plays Clemson at 7 p.m. in Jenison Field House.
