Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
9-0
Georgia
6-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 17 | 17 | 18 | 0 |
| Michigan State | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Michigan State Volleyball Sweeps Georgia, Wins Third Tournament Title
9/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
WATCH: Volleyball Highlights: MSU vs. Georgia
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Spartan volleyball remains undefeated on the season after taking down Georgia, 3-0, to win the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational. Michigan State (9-0) won its third tournament title of the season behind an MVP effort from Lauren Wicinski and Kori Moster and Amy Dentlinger were both named to the All-Tournament Team. The Spartans took the first two sets, 25-17, and won 25-18 in the third set to seal the win.
"Lauren (Wicinski) hasn't seen a ball that she doesn't want to kill," head coach Cathy George said. "That's what she does, she puts the ball away. Kori (Moster) doesn't ever want the ball to hit the floor. It is kind of that tenacious attitude that allows them to play the way they do and it really helps our team to be the driving force throughout the game."
Junior Kristen Kelsay ended the night with 25 assists and seven digs and freshman Halle Peterson added 15 assists and four digs of her own.
"They are a great tandem," George said. "They are similar in what they do. Halle is here as a freshman and Kristen does a great job leading her. They are wonderful together and are probably the unsung heroes on the weekend. They did a wonderful job distributing the ball, getting us in balance and keeping those hitting percentages high."
The first set was a back and forth affair between both teams and the score was knotted at 11 midway through the match. Kelsey Kuipers had a kill from the right side and Wicinski added back-to-back kills from the left, forcing a Georgia timeout and giving MSU the 14-11 lead. Wicinski recorded her second service ace of the match and the Spartans went on to take set one, 25-17.
The Spartans went on a 6-0 run in set two, taking a 15-7 lead over Georgia. Alexis Mathews and Taylor Galloway combined for a block in the middle and Mathews and Dentlinger teamed up for another block to take the lead 21-12. Wicinski added her 10th kill of the match and MSU took set two, 25-17.
Michigan State jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third set but Georgia stayed close and trailed just 15-14 before MSU was able to pull away. Mathews had a big kill in the middle and Wicinski added one of her own to lengthen the lead to 22-17, forcing a timeout from Georgia. However Amy Dentlinger dashed Georgia's hopes with her ninth kill of the night and followed that up with a solo block, to give MSU the 25-18 win and the sweep over the Bulldogs.
"Amy really put an exclamation point on it with the solo block at the end of this match," George said. "I think she had a great match tonight, but also a great tournament."
The Spartans will travel to Charleston, S.C., next weekend to compete in the Holiday Inn Charleston/Mt. Pleasant Tournament. Michigan State will face Presbyterian, Georgetown and the College of Charleston.
