Spartans Sweep Rutgers, 3-0

Saturday, October 1

Piscataway, NJ

7:00 PM

Michigan State University

13-3, 2-2Big Ten

Rutgers

4-13, 0-4Big Ten

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Michigan State	25	25	25	3
Rutgers	14	18	18	0

10/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball

Box Score

Oct. 1, 2016

SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
No. 18 Michigan State used a balanced scoring attack in a 3-0 sweep of homestanding Rutgers on Saturday, downing the Scarlet Knights 25-14, 25-18, 25-18. MSU is now 13-3 overall on the year, and evens its Big Ten record at 2-2. RU is now 4-13, and 0-4 in the Big Ten.

The Spartans spread their offense around the floor, with six players recording between seven and 12 kills, hitting .377 as a team. Autumn Bailey led the way with 12 terminations, while Alyssa Garvelink had eight kills, hit .636, and added a match-best four blocks.

The Spartans return home for matches against Ohio State (Friday) and Maryland (Saturday).

SET ONE: MSU was out to a quick 7-0 lead to open the match, and led 13-3 when Rutgers called its first time out. A 7-4 run for the home team after the hiatus made it an 18-10 game, but the Spartans came back to get consecutive kills by Bailey to make it 20-11. The teams traded side outs, and a Kranda kill into the back right corner gave MSU set point with Minarick on the service line. Garvelink and Kranda sealed it with a block at the left pin for a 25-14 win. Bailey finished with five kills, while Kranda and Garvelink each had two blocks. MSU hit .345 in the set (13-3-29), and held the Scarlet Knights to -.080 (5-7-25).

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SET TWO: Rutgers held its first lead of the night at 4-3, but a Bailey kill quickly equalized the score. A point-for-point exchange ensued, bringing the teams to a 15-all tie with Rutgers hitting .538 and the Spartans .450 in the frame. A kill by Bailey and a solo stuff by Garvelink pushed MSU to a 17-15 edge, and Rutgers called the timeout in an effort to not allow MSU to build momentum. MSU instead was fueled by the break, going on a 7-1 run (including six straight serves by Rachel Minarick) to get to set point at 24-16. The Scarlet Knights twice fought it off, with a kill and a block, but a Reinig kill ended the set, 25-18. MSU closed out the frame hitting .424, and added a pair of team blocks.

SET THREE: The Spartans got big at the net to take a 14-10 lead on a block by Garvelink and Reinig, and methodically built and maintained a six-point edge until the final seven-point margin of victory. Freshman Maggie Midgette played the second half of the set after junior Rachel Minarick had secured her third double-double of the season, and finished with a pair of assists and a service ace. The Spartans had their lowest hitting percentage of the match (.309) in that frame, but was able to get more bench players in to gain experience. Holly Toliver had six of her seven kills in the frame.

Quoteable:

-- Head Coach Cathy George

af TOP PERFORMERS

Alyssa Garvelink had eight kills , hit .636 (8-1-11) and added a match-best four blocks, (one solo).

Rachel Minarick recorded 38 assists and 11 digs for her third double-double of the season, and added three kills (3-0-4).

Autumn Bailey led all players with 12 kills and added eight digs.

STATS AND STORYLINES

MSU hit .377. MSU had just 12 attack errors on the night after committing 21 on Friday against Penn State.

MSU is now 10-2 in three-set matches.

MSU had three service aces, its second-fewest in a match this season. MSU was held without an ace in a 3-0 loss to Florida on Sept. 4.

MSU had six players with game totals between seven and 12 kills, and hit .377, its highest in a Big Ten match this season.

Allyssah Fitterer finished with eight kills (8-1-15, .467).