Sunday, November 12
West Lafayette, Ind.
1 PM
Michigan State University
16-11,8-8Big Ten
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Purdue
17-8,11-5Big Ten
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Michigan St.
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Purdue
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Photo by: Brittney Kimball
Volleyball Drops Close Contest at #16 Purdue
11/12/2023 4:54:00 PM | Volleyball
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Playing in one of the toughest road environments in the B1G on Sunday afternoon, the Michigan State volleyball program was defeated by No. 16-ranked Purdue in four sets, 3-1 (25-23, 28-30, 23-25, 18-25) at Holloway Gymnasium. MSU bounced back from a seven-point deficit in set one to win it, 25-23.
"We knew we were very similar to Purdue coming into today's match," Michigan State head volleyball coach Leah Johnson said. "We both run good middle offenses, we both have pins who can score, and we both serve and pass tough. I thought we did a great job in the serve and pass battle, and was proud of how we came from behind to win set one."
Michigan State moves to 16-11 overall and 8-8 in B1G play prior to hitting the road to face No. 19-ranked Penn State and Rutgers next weekend. Purdue improves to 17-8 overall and 11-5 in conference action.
Freshman outside hitter Taylah Holdem led all players with 23 kills, her fourth 20+ kill match of the season and third in B1G play. Holdem added 14 digs to post her ninth double-double. Junior opposite Aliyah Moore had an efficient match hitting .393 with 13 kills, and sophomore opposite Evie Doezema got hot late to finish with nine kills.
The Spartans blocked well as a team posting 12 total blocks and were led by the five blocks of freshman middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig. Kulig added seven kills hitting .500 for the match. Eight different Spartans recorded a block as the team tied its team-high in blocking in conference.
Junior setter Julia Bishop secured her fifth double-double of the season with 24 assists and 11 digs, and junior setter Rachel Muisenga added 21 assists. Bishop crossed the 1,000 career assist threshold during the match and now stands at 1,007 career assists. Senior libero Nalani Iosia just narrowly missed a double-double with 23 digs and nine assists.
Purdue was more efficient, hitting .230 to MSU's .164, but the Spartans finished with more kills (62 to 56). The Boilermaker block finished with 16 blocks on Sunday. Chloe Chicoine led Purdue with 18 kills and Eva Hudson added 16. Lourdes Myers had nine blocks and Taylor Anderson had seven. Maddie Schermerhorn posted a team-high 20 digs.
Michigan State didn't back down after a tough start to set one that saw them trailing by as many as seven points. With Bishop behind the service line the Spartans went on a 7-0 run late in the frame to take a 22-20 lead over the Boilermakers. Holdem had four kills and a block in the run as she finished the first with eight kills. Purdue was able to pull back within one of MSU, 23-22, and staved off Michigan State's first set point, but Holdem put the Boilermakers away as the Spartans completed the comeback, 25-23.
Set two was a back-and-forth battle that needed extra points to find a resolution. The Spartans led by as many as six late, 20-14, before a 9-1 Purdue run saw the Boilermakers take a 23-21 advantage. An ensuing 3-0 Spartan run gave MSU the first crack at set point, one of six set points between the two sides late. Michigan State would battle through consecutive Purdue set points with kills from Holdem and Moore, but the Boilermakers took the set, 30-28.
Purdue earned a six-point advantage early in set three, but the Spartans used a 5-0 run to get themselves back into form with the frame tied at 8-8. The Boilermakers took a 17-13 lead over MSU just past the midway point of the set after a 7-2 stretch, but another short run by the Spartans tied things up at 17-17 after a kill by Moore, one of five in the set for the junior. Three kills down the stretch by Purdue's Colvin put the Boilermakers on set point. A kill by Doezema would bring MSU back within one late, but Purdue would take the set 25-23.
Michigan State found themselves in a 10-4 hole in set four, but a pair of kills by sophomore middle blocker Nil Okur aided a 6-2 Spartan run in response. With the Spartans trailing by a pair, 14-12, Purdue opened the set back up using a 5-1 spurt to lead 19-13. Consecutive kills by Doezema would pull MSU back within five points late, 21-16, but the Boilermakers would end the set on a 4-2 run to take it 25-18.
UP NEXT
The Spartans will be back on the road next weekend, first taking on No. 19-ranked Penn State at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 17 before meeting Rutgers at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18. Penn State enters the week at 17-8 (11-5 B1G) and Rutgers is 10-16 (2-14 B1G).
"We knew we were very similar to Purdue coming into today's match," Michigan State head volleyball coach Leah Johnson said. "We both run good middle offenses, we both have pins who can score, and we both serve and pass tough. I thought we did a great job in the serve and pass battle, and was proud of how we came from behind to win set one."
Michigan State moves to 16-11 overall and 8-8 in B1G play prior to hitting the road to face No. 19-ranked Penn State and Rutgers next weekend. Purdue improves to 17-8 overall and 11-5 in conference action.
Freshman outside hitter Taylah Holdem led all players with 23 kills, her fourth 20+ kill match of the season and third in B1G play. Holdem added 14 digs to post her ninth double-double. Junior opposite Aliyah Moore had an efficient match hitting .393 with 13 kills, and sophomore opposite Evie Doezema got hot late to finish with nine kills.
The Spartans blocked well as a team posting 12 total blocks and were led by the five blocks of freshman middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig. Kulig added seven kills hitting .500 for the match. Eight different Spartans recorded a block as the team tied its team-high in blocking in conference.
Junior setter Julia Bishop secured her fifth double-double of the season with 24 assists and 11 digs, and junior setter Rachel Muisenga added 21 assists. Bishop crossed the 1,000 career assist threshold during the match and now stands at 1,007 career assists. Senior libero Nalani Iosia just narrowly missed a double-double with 23 digs and nine assists.
Purdue was more efficient, hitting .230 to MSU's .164, but the Spartans finished with more kills (62 to 56). The Boilermaker block finished with 16 blocks on Sunday. Chloe Chicoine led Purdue with 18 kills and Eva Hudson added 16. Lourdes Myers had nine blocks and Taylor Anderson had seven. Maddie Schermerhorn posted a team-high 20 digs.
Michigan State didn't back down after a tough start to set one that saw them trailing by as many as seven points. With Bishop behind the service line the Spartans went on a 7-0 run late in the frame to take a 22-20 lead over the Boilermakers. Holdem had four kills and a block in the run as she finished the first with eight kills. Purdue was able to pull back within one of MSU, 23-22, and staved off Michigan State's first set point, but Holdem put the Boilermakers away as the Spartans completed the comeback, 25-23.
Set 1 goes to @MSU_Volleyball. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IfTgbc9trE
— Big Ten Volleyball (@B1GVolleyball) November 12, 2023
Set two was a back-and-forth battle that needed extra points to find a resolution. The Spartans led by as many as six late, 20-14, before a 9-1 Purdue run saw the Boilermakers take a 23-21 advantage. An ensuing 3-0 Spartan run gave MSU the first crack at set point, one of six set points between the two sides late. Michigan State would battle through consecutive Purdue set points with kills from Holdem and Moore, but the Boilermakers took the set, 30-28.
Purdue earned a six-point advantage early in set three, but the Spartans used a 5-0 run to get themselves back into form with the frame tied at 8-8. The Boilermakers took a 17-13 lead over MSU just past the midway point of the set after a 7-2 stretch, but another short run by the Spartans tied things up at 17-17 after a kill by Moore, one of five in the set for the junior. Three kills down the stretch by Purdue's Colvin put the Boilermakers on set point. A kill by Doezema would bring MSU back within one late, but Purdue would take the set 25-23.
Michigan State found themselves in a 10-4 hole in set four, but a pair of kills by sophomore middle blocker Nil Okur aided a 6-2 Spartan run in response. With the Spartans trailing by a pair, 14-12, Purdue opened the set back up using a 5-1 spurt to lead 19-13. Consecutive kills by Doezema would pull MSU back within five points late, 21-16, but the Boilermakers would end the set on a 4-2 run to take it 25-18.
Set 1 goes to @MSU_Volleyball. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IfTgbc9trE
— Big Ten Volleyball (@B1GVolleyball) November 12, 2023
UP NEXT
The Spartans will be back on the road next weekend, first taking on No. 19-ranked Penn State at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 17 before meeting Rutgers at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18. Penn State enters the week at 17-8 (11-5 B1G) and Rutgers is 10-16 (2-14 B1G).
Team Stats
MSU
Purdue
Kills
62
56
Errors
33
18
Attempts
177
165
Hitting %
.164
.230
Points
78.0
78.0
Assists
57
53
Aces
4
6
Blocks
12
16
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
23
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Players Mentioned
S
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
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