Sunday, September 10
East Lansing, Mich.
1 PM
Michigan State University
5-3,0-0Big Ten
3
vs
1
North Carolina
4-3,0-0ACC
1
2
3
4
F
North Carolina
20
25
17
15
1
Michigan St.
25
21
25
25
3
Photo by: Brittney Kimball
Volleyball Thumps Tar Heels in Four
9/10/2023 5:39:00 PM | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Freshman outside hitter Taylah Holdem deposited 21 kills on Sunday afternoon as the Michigan State volleyball program dispatched North Carolina in four sets, 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-17, 25-15), from the Breslin Student Events Center. Holdem's 21 kills are the most by an MSU freshman dating back to Nov. 3, 2000 when Jenny Rood posted 21 kills against Illinois.
"The thing that impressed me most about the team today was our fight," said Michigan State head volleyball coach Leah Johnson. "We had been pushing for that to turn on for an entire match and I loved it."
The Spartans used Sunday's victory to improve their record to 5-3 entering next weekend's Dog Pound Challenge in Storrs, Conn.
Michigan State out-hit North Carolina .257 to .110 overall, finishing the match with more kills (46 to 36), more assists (44 to 30), more aces (12 to 8) and more digs (43 to 36) than the Tar Heels. UNC hit sub-.100 in each of the final two sets, including a -.100 mark in set four.
Holdem's 21 kills led all players as she also tallied six digs and a block. Senior libero Nalani Iosia posted her first double-double of the season with 10 assists and 14 digs, while freshman Cameron Berger had a match-high 30 assists. Sophomore middle blocker Evie Doezema paced the Spartans with three blocks while adding six kills on nine attempts to hit .667 for the match.
"Taylah Holdem was phenomenal today, we give her a high volume and I was really proud of how she took big aggressive swings every chance she had," said Johnson.
MSU opened the match in an early hole trailing 7-2 before Johnson was forced to call a timeout to make an adjustment. Out of the break the Spartans turned the tides going on a 10-4 run to take a 13-11 lead and force UNC to call for time. MSU tallied three blocks over that 10-4 stretch with junior Aliyah Moore, sophomore Nil Okur, Doezema, Holdem and Berger all contributing at the net. North Carolina would cut the lead back to one, 20-19, on a service ace, but the Spartans would close the set out on a 5-1 run to take the first.
Both sides went back and forth throughout set two as the frame featured 11 ties and a pair of lead changes. Neither team trailed by more than three points until the final point of the set. An ace by freshman outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska tied the set at 21-21 to force a UNC timeout, but the Tar Heels would go on a 4-0 run to close out set two.
Michigan State sided-out a match-best .66 percent in set three as the team got on a roll late in the set. The Spartans led by a pair just past the halfway point, 16-14, before using a 9-3 run to take the third, 25-17. Holdem had six of her 21 kills in set three including the decisive set point. Freshman defensive specialist Makya Clayton extended Michigan State's advantage late using back-to-back services aces to put the Spartans ahead 24-16. Clayton would finish the match with three aces as Michigan State aced UNC six times in the third set.
Set four was all Spartans from the jump as MSU got out to an 11-2 advantage which burned both of North Carolina's timeouts. Holdem had a stretch of five consecutive kills for MSU as she finished the set with six. The nine-point advantage was the largest of the match for either team. A strong run behind the service line by UNC's Emani' Foster that featured aces on three straight serves forced an MSU timeout up 17-12. Fifth year Amani McArthur found a quick kill out of the timeout for the Spartans. A successful challenge gave Holdem her 21st kill of the night to put Michigan State up 20-14, while a series of UNC errors and a kill by Doezema put the Spartans on match point.
UP NEXT
Michigan State hits the road for the first time in two weeks, traveling to Storrs, Conn. to play in the 2023 Dog Pound Challenge hosted by UConn. The Spartans will face-off against UConn, Brown and Binghamton over the weekend of action, first facing UConn at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15 from the UConn Volleyball Center.
"The thing that impressed me most about the team today was our fight," said Michigan State head volleyball coach Leah Johnson. "We had been pushing for that to turn on for an entire match and I loved it."
The Spartans used Sunday's victory to improve their record to 5-3 entering next weekend's Dog Pound Challenge in Storrs, Conn.
Michigan State out-hit North Carolina .257 to .110 overall, finishing the match with more kills (46 to 36), more assists (44 to 30), more aces (12 to 8) and more digs (43 to 36) than the Tar Heels. UNC hit sub-.100 in each of the final two sets, including a -.100 mark in set four.
Holdem's 21 kills led all players as she also tallied six digs and a block. Senior libero Nalani Iosia posted her first double-double of the season with 10 assists and 14 digs, while freshman Cameron Berger had a match-high 30 assists. Sophomore middle blocker Evie Doezema paced the Spartans with three blocks while adding six kills on nine attempts to hit .667 for the match.
"Taylah Holdem was phenomenal today, we give her a high volume and I was really proud of how she took big aggressive swings every chance she had," said Johnson.
MSU opened the match in an early hole trailing 7-2 before Johnson was forced to call a timeout to make an adjustment. Out of the break the Spartans turned the tides going on a 10-4 run to take a 13-11 lead and force UNC to call for time. MSU tallied three blocks over that 10-4 stretch with junior Aliyah Moore, sophomore Nil Okur, Doezema, Holdem and Berger all contributing at the net. North Carolina would cut the lead back to one, 20-19, on a service ace, but the Spartans would close the set out on a 5-1 run to take the first.
Grace Kelly keeps the rally alive with a pancake dig to set up Taylah Holdem for the kill!#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/5QnddWHRci
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 10, 2023
Both sides went back and forth throughout set two as the frame featured 11 ties and a pair of lead changes. Neither team trailed by more than three points until the final point of the set. An ace by freshman outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska tied the set at 21-21 to force a UNC timeout, but the Tar Heels would go on a 4-0 run to close out set two.
Michigan State sided-out a match-best .66 percent in set three as the team got on a roll late in the set. The Spartans led by a pair just past the halfway point, 16-14, before using a 9-3 run to take the third, 25-17. Holdem had six of her 21 kills in set three including the decisive set point. Freshman defensive specialist Makya Clayton extended Michigan State's advantage late using back-to-back services aces to put the Spartans ahead 24-16. Clayton would finish the match with three aces as Michigan State aced UNC six times in the third set.
Makya Clayton's ACE puts us up 23-16 late in set three!#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/g0biejryFz
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 10, 2023
Set four was all Spartans from the jump as MSU got out to an 11-2 advantage which burned both of North Carolina's timeouts. Holdem had a stretch of five consecutive kills for MSU as she finished the set with six. The nine-point advantage was the largest of the match for either team. A strong run behind the service line by UNC's Emani' Foster that featured aces on three straight serves forced an MSU timeout up 17-12. Fifth year Amani McArthur found a quick kill out of the timeout for the Spartans. A successful challenge gave Holdem her 21st kill of the night to put Michigan State up 20-14, while a series of UNC errors and a kill by Doezema put the Spartans on match point.
Got 'em on their heels 😎#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/bsPVgrjoNP
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 10, 2023
UP NEXT
Michigan State hits the road for the first time in two weeks, traveling to Storrs, Conn. to play in the 2023 Dog Pound Challenge hosted by UConn. The Spartans will face-off against UConn, Brown and Binghamton over the weekend of action, first facing UConn at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15 from the UConn Volleyball Center.
Team Stats
UNC
MSU
Kills
36
46
Errors
24
19
Attempts
109
105
Hitting %
.110
.257
Points
51.0
64.0
Assists
30
44
Aces
8
12
Blocks
7
6
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
21
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
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