Tuesday, September 17
East Lansing, Mich.
6 PM
Michigan State University
6-3,0-0Big Ten
3
vs
1
Purdue Fort Wayne
4-6,0-0Horizon
1
2
3
4
F
Purdue Fort Wayne
14
19
25
22
1
Michigan St.
25
25
21
25
3
Photo by: Brittney Kimball
Four Double-Doubles in Volleyball’s Victory over Purdue Fort Wayne
9/17/2024 11:16:00 PM | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Four Spartans tallied double-doubles on Tuesday night in Michigan State's 3-1 (25-14, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22) victory over Purdue Fort Wayne to close home non-conference play at the Breslin Student Events Center.
Michigan State improves to 6-3 overall heading into the final non-conference weekend of the regular season. Duke and North Carolina await the Spartans this weekend in Raleigh-Durham.
"Outside of set three, and credit to Purdue Fort Wayne for a hard-fought comeback, I thought we played a fun, aggressive match," said Michigan State head coach Leah Johnson.
Fifth year Nalani Iosia, senior Julia Bishop, senior Rachel Muisenga and sophomore Taylah Holdem all posted double-doubles for MSU. It's the first time Michigan State has had four players do so in the same match since Sept. 11, 2010 against Eastern Michigan (Jenliee Rathje, Megan Schatzle, Becca Zlabis, Natalie Emro).
Iosia's fourth career double-double and first since Sept. 10, 2023 vs. North Carolina featured 12 assists and 22 digs. Bishop has posted double-doubles in back-to-back matches finishing with 23 assists and matching a career-high 18 digs. Holdem set a new career-best with 16 digs along with a season-high 14 kills in her 10th career double-double. It's the second career double-double for Muisenga who collected 27 assists and 10 digs.
"I thought Purdue Fort Wayne executed its game-plan really well hitting balls to zone one, but the flip side of that is we are a really good out of system team," said Johnson. "Nalani (Iosia) sets like a setter and we take advantage of that. One of the strengths of our 6-2 is that we don't fear our setters digging balls, and they did their job tonight."
Junior middle blocker Evie Doezema was one of three Spartans to finish with 14 kills joining junior outside hitter Taylor Preston and Holdem. Doezema's 14 kills on .619 hitting (14-1-21) were her most since a 16-kill performance against VCU on September 3, 2022 when she was playing as a six-rotation outside. Preston's 14 kills matched a season high. Junior Akasha Anderson was the fourth Spartan in double-figure kills with 11, missing becoming the fifth double-double athlete with eight digs.
Holdem and sophomore middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig led the way with four block assists apiece.
As a team Michigan State out-hit the Mastodons .282 to .157, leading in kills 71-to-42, assists 66-to-40, digs 84-to-66, and blocks 8-to-7. The Spartans held Purdue Fort Wayne to sub .100 hitting in set one (.000) and set four (.095).
Michigan State controlled set one from the jump forcing an early Purdue Fort Wayne timeout up 7-2 after a Holdem kill. A 6-0 Spartan run mid-way through the frame extended the MSU lead to 17-8 after back-to-back Mastodon hitting errors. Shots from Holdem and Kulig each found the floor to close set one. Michigan State hit a team match-high .325 in the first behind Holdem's error-less four kills.
Set two was close throughout with 14 tied scores, but Michigan State pulled away late. Leading just 19-18, the Spartans utilized a 6-1 run to end things in favor of MSU, 25-19. Preston tallied each of Michigan State's final two kills of the set, but it was Doezema's six kills in the stanza that kept MSU afloat. Doezema was error-less in the second hitting .750 (6-0-8).
The Spartans led by as many as seven points in set three at the 14-7 mark, later building its lead back to six past the mid-way point at 17-11. A 9-3 Mastodon run tied the set at 20-20, and finished as a 14-4 run to give Purdue Fort Wayne the comeback victory, 25-21. The Mastodons hit a match-best .357 in the third committing just one hitting error. Riley Rosneck chipped in five of her team-high 14 kills in the third. Rosneck was one of two Purdue Fort Wayne hitters in double figures joining Panna Ratkai (13 kills).
A back-and-forth fourth frame saw the Spartans get out to an 11-7 advantage following back-to-back-to-back blocks. Kulig was involved in all three along with Holdem and senior opposite Aliyah Moore.
Neither team gave the other an edge until late when Moore's only kill of the set sparked a Spartan run to go up 22-21. Anderson's solo block put Michigan State on match point, 24-21, before a Preston kill closed the door second time on the night.
Up Next
Michigan State travels east this weekend for a pair of throwback ACC-B1G meetings at Duke and North Carolina. MSU gets started against the Blue Devils on Friday, September 20 at 6:30 p.m. The Spartans will have Saturday off prior to taking on UNC at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 22. Michigan State, Duke and North Carolina have routinely met throughout each of the past three seasons.
Michigan State improves to 6-3 overall heading into the final non-conference weekend of the regular season. Duke and North Carolina await the Spartans this weekend in Raleigh-Durham.
"Outside of set three, and credit to Purdue Fort Wayne for a hard-fought comeback, I thought we played a fun, aggressive match," said Michigan State head coach Leah Johnson.
Fifth year Nalani Iosia, senior Julia Bishop, senior Rachel Muisenga and sophomore Taylah Holdem all posted double-doubles for MSU. It's the first time Michigan State has had four players do so in the same match since Sept. 11, 2010 against Eastern Michigan (Jenliee Rathje, Megan Schatzle, Becca Zlabis, Natalie Emro).
Iosia's fourth career double-double and first since Sept. 10, 2023 vs. North Carolina featured 12 assists and 22 digs. Bishop has posted double-doubles in back-to-back matches finishing with 23 assists and matching a career-high 18 digs. Holdem set a new career-best with 16 digs along with a season-high 14 kills in her 10th career double-double. It's the second career double-double for Muisenga who collected 27 assists and 10 digs.
"I thought Purdue Fort Wayne executed its game-plan really well hitting balls to zone one, but the flip side of that is we are a really good out of system team," said Johnson. "Nalani (Iosia) sets like a setter and we take advantage of that. One of the strengths of our 6-2 is that we don't fear our setters digging balls, and they did their job tonight."
Masto-done got the win ✅#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/HfCNmVv9oE
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 18, 2024
Junior middle blocker Evie Doezema was one of three Spartans to finish with 14 kills joining junior outside hitter Taylor Preston and Holdem. Doezema's 14 kills on .619 hitting (14-1-21) were her most since a 16-kill performance against VCU on September 3, 2022 when she was playing as a six-rotation outside. Preston's 14 kills matched a season high. Junior Akasha Anderson was the fourth Spartan in double-figure kills with 11, missing becoming the fifth double-double athlete with eight digs.
Holdem and sophomore middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig led the way with four block assists apiece.
As a team Michigan State out-hit the Mastodons .282 to .157, leading in kills 71-to-42, assists 66-to-40, digs 84-to-66, and blocks 8-to-7. The Spartans held Purdue Fort Wayne to sub .100 hitting in set one (.000) and set four (.095).
Michigan State controlled set one from the jump forcing an early Purdue Fort Wayne timeout up 7-2 after a Holdem kill. A 6-0 Spartan run mid-way through the frame extended the MSU lead to 17-8 after back-to-back Mastodon hitting errors. Shots from Holdem and Kulig each found the floor to close set one. Michigan State hit a team match-high .325 in the first behind Holdem's error-less four kills.
Kulig on the kill 💪@MSU_Volleyball leads after 1️⃣#B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/pav3DSACt1
— Big Ten Volleyball (@B1GVolleyball) September 17, 2024
Set two was close throughout with 14 tied scores, but Michigan State pulled away late. Leading just 19-18, the Spartans utilized a 6-1 run to end things in favor of MSU, 25-19. Preston tallied each of Michigan State's final two kills of the set, but it was Doezema's six kills in the stanza that kept MSU afloat. Doezema was error-less in the second hitting .750 (6-0-8).
✅✅◻️
— Big Ten Volleyball (@B1GVolleyball) September 17, 2024
Taylor Preston claims set two for @MSU_Volleyball 👀#B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/0Y1zTun0EO
The Spartans led by as many as seven points in set three at the 14-7 mark, later building its lead back to six past the mid-way point at 17-11. A 9-3 Mastodon run tied the set at 20-20, and finished as a 14-4 run to give Purdue Fort Wayne the comeback victory, 25-21. The Mastodons hit a match-best .357 in the third committing just one hitting error. Riley Rosneck chipped in five of her team-high 14 kills in the third. Rosneck was one of two Purdue Fort Wayne hitters in double figures joining Panna Ratkai (13 kills).
A back-and-forth fourth frame saw the Spartans get out to an 11-7 advantage following back-to-back-to-back blocks. Kulig was involved in all three along with Holdem and senior opposite Aliyah Moore.
Back-to-back-to-back blocks for the Spartans in set four!#GoGreen | #SetTheStandard pic.twitter.com/OZ8EoYgkfK
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) September 17, 2024
Neither team gave the other an edge until late when Moore's only kill of the set sparked a Spartan run to go up 22-21. Anderson's solo block put Michigan State on match point, 24-21, before a Preston kill closed the door second time on the night.
🎶 Victory for MSU 🎶
— Big Ten Volleyball (@B1GVolleyball) September 18, 2024
Taylor Preston nails match point for @MSU_Volleyball 👏#B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/R6pECnpDzi
Up Next
Michigan State travels east this weekend for a pair of throwback ACC-B1G meetings at Duke and North Carolina. MSU gets started against the Blue Devils on Friday, September 20 at 6:30 p.m. The Spartans will have Saturday off prior to taking on UNC at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 22. Michigan State, Duke and North Carolina have routinely met throughout each of the past three seasons.
Team Stats
Pur-FW
MSU
Kills
42
71
Errors
18
23
Attempts
153
170
Hitting %
.157
.282
Points
54.0
80.0
Assists
40
66
Aces
5
1
Blocks
7
8
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballOH
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