Michigan State University
17-6,7-6Big Ten
Washington
10-13,5-8Big Ten
Spartans Knock Off Huskies on the Road
11/8/2025 12:43:00 AM | Volleyball
SEATTLE – In a marathon match, Michigan State volleyball took down Washington in four sets (15-25, 30-28, 33-31, 25-20) Friday night inside Washington's Alaska Airlines Arena.Â
MSU moves to 17-6 overall and 7-6 in the Big Ten with the win, while Washington drops to 10-13 and 5-8.Â
The Huskies out-hit the Spartans, .181 to .141, while MSU led in total kills (55-to-53) and service aces (8-4). Washington held a 65-57 advantage in digs and out-blocked MSU, 17-8.Â
Junior outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska led MSU in kills with 19 while hitting a match-best .256. She also added 11 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Freshman outside hitter Bianca Mumcular and sophomore middle blocker Carmen Waye each totaled nine kills.Â
Junior libero Lia Schneider posted a team-high 20 digs, while Mumcular led in total blocks with a career-high five. Six different Spartans posted a service ace, with junior middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig tallying a team-high three and Schneider, Staniszewska, junior outside hitter Taylah Holdem, redshirt freshman setter Malayah Long and sophomore defensive specialist Maya Bolton each adding one.Â
Splitting time in a 6-2 system, junior Cam Berger and Long added 25 and 22 assists, respectively. Â
Washington got out to a 7-3 lead in the first set before two Husky errors and a Danyle Courtley kill got the Spartans within a pair at 8-6. A kill from Mumcular and two kills from Kulig closed the gap to a point at 10-9 before Washington used a 3-0 run to take a 13-9 lead and force an MSU timeout. Doezema and Staniszewska kills got MSU back within three, but the Huskies responded with a 6-2 run to force a second Spartan timeout at 20-12. The Spartans scored three-straight points out of the timeout with kills from Waye and Mumcular and a Husky attack error to make it 20-15 and force Washington into a timeout of its own, but Washington fired off five-straight out of the break to take the first set, 25-15.Â
MSU opened the second set on a 6-2 run with kills from Mumcular, Courtley, Staniszewska and Doezema and two Washington attack errors. Another pair of Husky errors and a Courtley kill helped MSU to a 3-0 run to take a six-point lead at 12-6 and force a Washington timeout. A second Courtley kill out of the timeout then gave the Spartans a 13-7 lead before Washington used a 6-2 run to get within three at 15-12 and force an MSU timeout. Washington scored four straight out of the timeout to take its first lead of the set at 16-15, but followed with a service error to tie the set back up at 16-16. The teams then traded one-point leads back-and-forth, with Washington earning its first set point at 24-23. A kill from Staniszewska fought off the Husky set point before another Staniszewska kill and a block from Mumcular and Waye fended off a second and third Husky set point. MSU got to its own set point with a Washington attack error at 27-26 before the Huskies tied the set again at 27-27 and reached a second set point after a Waye kill at 28-27, but Washington kill evened the set at 28-28. Back-to-back Washington attack errors to follow gave the Spartans the second set in extra points, 30-28, to tie the match at 1-1.Â
After Washington took a 4-3 lead to start the third set, MSU used kills from Mumcular and Staniszewska and a pair of Washington errors to go on a 4-0 run and take a 7-4 lead. Washington followed with a 3-1 run to close the gap to 8-7 before a Staniszewska kill extended the MSU lead back to two, but a 5-1 Husky run gave Washington a 12-10 lead to force an MSU timeout. The Huskies extended their lead to as many as three before a kill from Mumcular and Kulig solo block got the Spartans within one at 15-14 and three-straight MSU points from Holdem kill, Husky attack error and Holdem service ace gave MSU a 17-16 lead to force a Husky timeout. Washington tied the set back up at 17-17 with a kill out of the break, but MSU fired off three-straight points with kills from Staniszewska and Doezema and a Kulig service ace to force another Husky timeout at 20-17. Washington scored three straight out of the timeout to tie the set before a Doezema kill and Husky attack error gave MSU a two-point lead at 22-20, but Washington followed with another 3-0 run to take a one-point edge at 23-22. A Washington service ace got the Huskies to set point at 24-22 before kills from Staniszewska and Waye tied the set back up at 24-24. Another Washington kill gave the Huskies their second set point, but a second Waye kill fought off the Washington set point again at 25-25. MSU fought off three more Washington set points to get to its own set point at 29-28 with a Staniszewska kill and Mya Bolton service ace, but two MSU errors got Washington to another set point at 31-30. A Staniszewska kill to follow and a block from Waye and Mumcular got MSU to set point at 32-31 and a Staniszewska service ace sealed the set for the Spartans, 33-31.Â
MSU took a timeout after Washington got out to an 8-4 start in the fourth set. A 4-1 MSU run out of the timeout with two kills from Doezema, a Staniszewska kill and Washington attack error got the Spartans within a point at 9-8 before back-to-back Kulig service aces gave MSU a one-point lead at 10-9. The Huskies retook the lead at 14-13 after an MSU error, but a kill from Waye, Mumcular and Kulig block and Schneider service ace gave the Spartans a 16-14 lead to force a Washington timeout. A Husky attack error and solo Holdem block out of the timeout then gave the Spartans a four-point lead at 18-14. Kills from Holdem and Staniszewska along with a Washington service error then forced another Washington timeout at 21-16. MSU got to match point with a Staniszewska kill at 24-19 and ended the match after a Washington service error, 25-20.Â
Up next, MSU takes on Oregon in Eugene on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. ET on B1G+.Â
