Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
5-1
Cincinnati
4-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 15 | 15 | 16 | 0 |
| Michigan State | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
MSU Sweeps Cincinnati 3-0
9/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Michigan State got back on the winning side of the ledger on Friday, posting a 3-0 victory over Cincinnati in the first round of the Western Kentucky Holiday Inn Invitational. The Spartans (6-1) got 11 kills from Chloe Reinig as she hit a career-best .588 for the match (11-1-17), adding five digs and three blocks.
MSU hit .360 in the opening frame to set the tone, and finished the match with a .333 hitting percentage, holding the Bearcats to .078, the fourth opponent that MSU has held to .100 or less this season. The Spartans also had eight blocks in the match, the most since the Marist match on Aug. 27.
The Spartans are back in action for two matches on Saturday. MSU takes on Southern Illinois at 11 am CT (12 noon ET), and then will tangle with No. 23 Western Kentucky at 5 pm to complete the Tournament.
- SET ONE: Michigan State used a 6-0 run to pull ahead by a 15-6 margin, and was hitting .500 through that point of the match with six kills. MSU didn't allow consecutive points to the Bearcats until holding a 19-9 lead, and MSU held on to win 25-15. Autumn Bailey hit .833 (5-0-6), with a pair of aces in the frame. Meanwhile, Chloe Reinig had four kills (4-1-8) and added in a pair of blocks. Rachel Minarick had 12 assists.
- SET TWO: MSU held early leads of 5-0, 15-3, and a match-high advantage of 18-5 in the second frame, but allowed the Bearcats to climb back into it. Holly Toliver delivered back-to-back aces to bring MSU to set point at 24-12, but Cincinnati fought it off three times before a termination by Alyssa Garvelink at the right pin secured the win at 25-15. Bailey and Garvelink each had four kills in the frame to lead the team, while Bailey added three digs and Garvelink contributed two blocks (one solo).
- SET THREE: There were several lengthier rallies in the third set, and the Spartans held a slim 9-7 lead before starting to assert their will. The game remained a four-point affair until MSU reeled off three straight to pull ahead 17-10, forcing the Bearcats into a time out. Still holding the seven-point advantage at 19-12 and 23-16, and Toliver got the Spartans to match point with a kill off the block, and a block by Reinig at the left pin gave MSU the straight-set win. MSU hit just .233 in the frame due to the more extended rallies, but still managed to hit .333 for the match.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Chloe Reinig had 11 kills, hitting .588 and adding five digs, and three blocks.
- Autumn Bailey had nine kills, three aces, and six digs.
- Alyssa Garvelink had seven kills, hit .462, and added a match-best four blocks.
- Rachel Minarick had 27 assists, adding three kills (3-1-5, .400), six digs, and a block.
STATS AND STORYLINES
- Chloe Reinig hit a career-best .588 in the match, bettering her .500 performance (14-2-24) vs. Indiana on Nov. 15, 2014.
- Holly Toliver and Abby Monson led all players with 13 digs each - Toliver matched her season best that she also accomplished twice previously, while it was a season-best for Monson.
- Rachel Minarick had 31 assists on the day, with two aces, three digs, and a block. Her two aces is a season high.
- Garvelink hit .450 or better for the second straight match and the fourth time in seven matches. She had seven kills and added four blocks, (one solo).
- MSU had three solo blocks in the match, a season high for the team. MSU's .341 hitting percentage was also a season best, posting a season-low nine hitting errors.
- MSU had seven service aces and connected on 90% of it's serves, the most in any match this season.
