Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
15-4, 4-3B1G
Illinois
12-6, 5-2B1G
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 21 | 30 | 19 | 0 |
| Illinois | 25 | 32 | 25 | 3 |
Illini Sweep Spartans in Champaign, 3-0
10/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
No. 14 Michigan State fell in a road match at No. 24 Illinois on Wednesday, falling in straight sets (25-21, 32-20, 25-19). MSU rallied from a four-point late deficit in the epic second set (22-18), but couldn't get the match win despite a valiant fight. MSU falls to 15-4 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten play.
The Spartans hit .145 in the match with 22 hitting errors, its second-most in a Big Ten match this season, while Illinois hit .319, just the fourth opponent to hit .300 or better in a match vs. the Spartans this season. Autumn Bailey and Brooke Kranda each had 11 kills, while lyssa Garvelink posted eight kills without an error and added a season-best seven blocks for the second straight match.
The Spartans return home for a Saturday night match against No. 3 Minnesota at Jenison Field House at 8 pm.
- SET ONE: Tied at 8-8, the teams had combined for five hitting and five service errors. MSU took its first lead of the night at 13-12, on a block by Garveink and Reinig at the right pin, the third block for the Spartans compared to none for the hosts. The teams traded points and one-point leads until the home team pulled ahead 18-16 on their first block of the night by Crittenden, followed by a kill by the senior. After an MSU time out, the Illini took their largest lead at 21-17, but MSU stormed right back with two kills by Garvelink and one Kranda to trim it to one, 21-20, and force Illinois into its second time out. An Ali Bastianelli kill stopped the MSU run, followed by a Spartan shot long. A Caroline Welsh shot gave the Illini set point, but MSU was able to hold it off with a Bailey kill, her third of the night. Bastianelli stepped up with her fifth kill of the frame to close it out for the hosts. Kranda led the Spartans with four kills and a block, while Bailey had three kills on three swings. Illinois hit .419 compard to MSU's .250.
- SET TWO: MSU posted two kills and two blocks early to take a 5-2 lead, but a kill and a block by Bastianelli got the Illini back within one a 5-4. Illinois took its first lead at 10-9 on a Katie Stadick termination, and took their largest lead at 15-11. The Spartans stormed back with three straight points, to pull within 15-14, but an upheld challenge followed by an Illini block and spartn error allowed the home team to once again establish a four-point edge. MSU and their hosts would jockey back and forth with two-and three-point runs, and MSU called its final time out of the frame aftger a hitting error - its eighth of the set - made it 22-18 Illinois. The Spartans used an impressive serving run by Minarick to cut it to pull ahead 24-23, but a Crittenden kill halted the 6-1 Spartan run. From there, it was a point-for-point battle past 30-30, when MSU's hitting error gave the Illini set point; a Strizak kill gave the home team a hard-earned second set victory and 2-0 match lead. Biley had six kills for MSU in the frame, while Kranda added five. MSU hit just .113 in the frame with 10 attack errors, while Illinois had 20 kills against just seven errors. (.241) .
- SET THREE: Consecutive hitting errors for MSU after a big block by the Illini left the Spartans in a 8-4 hole, and Cathy George called time out. Illinois pushed its lead out to six at 17-11, and never allowed MSU to mount a serious threat in the late stages of the frame. Illinois kept the pressure on and hit .357, (16-6-21), while MSU had just 10 kills and committed seven miscues that made it too large a deficit to overcome. Garvelink led MSU with five kills in the set.
Quoteable:
"We had that comeback in the second set, and coming out on the short end of that in the end I think took some wind out of our sails. We commiitted far, far too mamy errors to allow ourselves to have much success. We know that we'll need a much, much better effort come Saturday when we are at home against Minnesota. We have two days of practice to get our heads back on straight and clean up the things that hurt us tonight."
-- Head Coach Cathy George
TOP PERFORMERS
- Autumn Bailey posted 11 kills, and added six digs.
- Alyssa Garvelink had eight kills , hit a team-high . 533 (8-0-15) and added seven blocks, tying her season best for the second straight match.
- Brooke Kranda contributed 11 kills, two digs, and two blocks.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- MSU had 10 team blocks, after posting a season-high 12 against Maryland last Saturday.
- The Illini hit .357 in the match, compared to just .145 for MSU. The Spartans are now 0-4 when allowing an opponent to hit .300 or better.
- MSU's three-match winning streak was halted with the loss to Illinois. The Illini have now won four straight vs. the Spartans.
- Fifteen of MSU's 19 matches have gone just three sets. MSU owns 12-3 record in three-set affairs.
- Chloe Reinig finished her night with four blocks, four kills, and a pair of digs.
- Rachel Minarick recorded 25 assists, three blocks, and four digs.
