Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
12-2, 1-1B1G
Nebraska
11-0, 2-0B1G
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 22 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 16 | 3 |
| Michigan State | 25 | 25 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 2 |
No. 1 Nebraska Holds Off Spartans in Five
9/24/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Box Score | MSU-Nebraska Photo Gallery 
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
With No. 1 and undefeated Nebraska in town, No. 20 Michigan State knew it had an opportunity to make a statement. Although it wasn't quite the statement that they had hoped to make, MSU still showed that it could go toe-to-toe with the defending National Champions and No. 1 team in the country, falling in five sets, 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 14-25, 14-16).
MSU held a 2-0 lead in the match, and dropped the first set after the break, 25-20. The fourth set was one that the Spartans would certainly like back, as a negative hititng percentage and a cavalcade of errors shot the Spartans in the foot, falling 25-14. The fifth set was all the 4,1175 in attendance could have hoped for, with the exception of the final score - the fifth set was tied six times and featured three lead changes, but the visitors took the final two points after a 14-14 deadlock to claim the road victory.
The Huskers, who had lost just two sets this season prior to tonight, improve to 11-0 and 2-0 Big Ten. Mikaela Foecke had a match-best 17 kills and added two blocks for Nebraska, whie Kadie Rolfzen had 17 kills, nine digs, and three blocks.
For the Spartans, their seven-match winning streak came to a close, it's longest stretch of victories since the 2013 season. MSU stands at 12-2, 1-1 Big Ten. Chloe Reinig had season bests of 16 kills and five blocks, (one solo). Rachel Minarick had a double-double with 52 assists (three off her career best) and added 12 digs, while Autumn Bailey also had a a double-double (13 kills, 10 digs, three aces, and three assists).
This is the second straight season that MSU has fallen to Nebraska at home by a 3-2 score; the Spartans lost to the eventual National Champions 3-2, with the fifth set a two-point game (15-13).
The Spartans head on the road next weekend for games at No. 18 Penn State and Rutgers.
Quoteable: "It's a tough loss for sure, especially when you feel like you have them on the ropes. You also know that it's an incredibly talented team on the other side of the net, and they aren't going to give you much. Our players got to hear from MSU's 1976 team after the match tonight, and I thought that they had a great message for us - that we needed to to stick together, believe in what we're doing, and to learn from tonight's disappointment and make it the start of something special. We got a huge lift from a great crowd that included more than 50 alumni who came back - we're incredibly lucky to have that support in our corner. This one will certainly sting, but we cannot let it hold us back - this was game two of 20 in the Big Ten season, and there's still a whole lot to play for."
-- Head Coach Cathy George
- SET ONE: The fans were treated to exciting rallies, impressive defensive displays, and powerful terminations in the opening frame, as the teams battled out a point-for-point battle. MSUs largest lead was four points (14-10), and the set also featured a pair of coaches challenges - both which ended up going MSU's way. Both teams hit better than .400 for the frame - MSU .447 with 19 kills, and Nebraska .481 with 14. Bailey was MSU's top scorer with six kills and four digs, while Reinig and Kranda each had five.
- SET TWO: The Spartans trailed by two early (6-4) but rallied back to take their first lead of the set at 8-7. The teams tied at 10-10, and the relentless Spartans built their lead to five points, their largest of the night, at 15-10. Consecutive Fitterer kills built the Spartan advantage to 18-12, but three straight for the Huskers trimmed it back to three points, and MSU called time out to regroup. Fitterer slammed home her third consecutive kill for MSU to get the sideout, and Bailey delivered an ace to win the race to 20 points and push the Spartan lead back to five (20-15). A pair of shots out of bounds by Nebraska and a Minarick dump over the net kept the Spartan momentum going and gave MSU its largest lead at 23-16, but the Huskers stormed back with four straight points (their biggest run of the night) to trim it to 23-20. A kranda kill off the block got MSU to set point, but the Huskers fought it off, and an MSU error allowed Nebraska to pull within one, 24-23. A Kranda shot down the right line sealed it for the Spartans 25-23. MSU's offense was spread around - Fitterer, Reinig, and KRanda each had three kills, and Garveink added two. MSU hit .312 to the Huskers .281, and each team posted one block.
- SET THREE: A 4-1 run allowed MSU to open up a 12-7 advantage in the third set, refusing to take their foot off the gas. The Huskers weren't going to go away easy, however - and used a 6-1 run to tie the game then take an 18-16 lead. Leading 22-20, Nebraska got back-to-back kill s from Olivia Boender and a block by Amber Rolfzen to get to set point, and then Kadie Rolfzen delivered an ace to seal it for the visitors. MSU hit just .211 in the frame, with six errors - matching it's total from the first two sets combined. Nebraska hit .314 by comparison. Garvelink led MSU with four kills, while hloe Reinig had two kills and three blocks (one solo).
- SET FOUR: The Huskers looked to establish a significant early lead in the fourth, something that had eluded them in the first three sets. With Nebraska up 7-3, MSU clawed back into it with a bit of defensive magic and trimmed it down to 8-7 before the visitors could get a sideout with a kill off the block. Nebraska used a 7-3 run, aided by five Spartan errors, to pull ahead by five, 18-13. Out of the MSU timeout, the Huskers went full-throttle, closing out the set on a 14-4 run overall to force a fifth set, as MSU committed 12 hitting errors in the frame and fell 25-14. Reinig had three kills and a block, her fifth of the night, to lead MSU.
- SET FIVE: Trailing 5-3, MU ran off four straight points to take a 7-5 lead, and a Reinig kill gave MSU an 8-6 advantage at the crossover. The teams refused to give each other an inch, and both came up with impressive plays on both sides of the net. MSU led 12-10 when Nebraska called a timeout; a Kadie Rolfzen kill made it a one-point affair. The next point was called a down ball on a Rachel Minarick pancake attempt to tie the set 12-12. Tied again at 14-14, a Spartan shot sailed long to give the Huskers match point, and Kadie Rolfzen sealed the come-from-behind victory with a block to take the set 16-14.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Chloe Reinig had a season-best 16 kills, 36 attempts, five blocks (one solo) and one assist.
- Brooke Kranda had a season-best 14 kills and hit .263, adding a pair of aces, three blocks (one solo) and two digs.
- Allyssah Fitterer had nine kills, hit .444, and tied her season best with three blocks.
- Alyssa Garvelink had 11 kills and added a team-best four blocks, hitting .364.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- MSU's winning streak was snapped at seven straight games, the Spartans' longest winning streak since 2013.
- MSU's record of 12-2 is the best start to a season since the 2013 team which went 13-1.
- Nebraska's third-set victory snapped streak of 15 consecutive sets won for MSU, dating back to the match at No. 23 WKU (Sept. 10).
- Through their first 10 matches of the season, Nebraska had lost just two sets - and MSU took the first two tonight.
- MSU's three solo blocks tied its season high, set previously vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 9).
- With 10 team blocks, the Spartans had their fifth double-digit block performance this season. Nebraska's 13 blocks was the most by an MSU opponent this season.
- MSU is now 1-1 in five-set matches this season, and both were against ranked teams. MSU defeated Western Kentucky 3-2 in Bowling Green earlier this season.
- MSU had six service aces, and has 48 over the last five matches combined.
- Autumn Bailey had her third double-double of the season with 13 kills and added 10 digs, three aces, and three assists.
- Rachel Minarick contributed her second double-double of the season, dishing out 52 assists, and 12 digs - both season bests.
- Abby Monson tied her season high with 17 digs, her eighth double-digit dig match, and sixth in the last seven games.
