MSU VOLLEYBALL: Spartans Drop 3-1 Decision to Northwestern
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Michigan State fell to homestanding Northwestern on the road on Saturday night, 3-1 (25-18, 15-25, 20-25, 21-25). MSU falls to 14-9 overall and 6-6 in the Big Ten. Northwestern is now 13-10, 5-7 in Conference play.
MSU faltered after a fast start, dropping three consecutive sets to the Wildcats on their home floor and allowing NU to snap a three-game skid. MSU has now lost three straight matches for the first time this season.
SET ONE: MSU was big at the net early, posting four blocks en route to an early 7-3 advantage. MSU extended that lead out to 14-7 with four kills from Holly Toliver and four blocks from Alyssa Garvelink. MSU maintained a seven-point edge through the end of the set, which was sealed by a Northwestern service error. The Spartans hit .464 in the opening set, with 16 kills and five blocks. Garvelink has a hand in each of MSU’s stuffs, while Holly Toliver (7-0-9) and Chloe Reinig (5-1-7) paced the offense.
SET TWO: The home team opens the second set with a 3-0 run, and pushed its lead out to six at 13-7. MSU countered with three straight points to cut the NU lead to 13-10, but the Wildcats countered and pushed its lead back out to five (17-12), forcing MSU into a timeout. MSU couldn’t get the margin any smaller, as the Wildcats pulled away and took the set 25-14. MSU hit just .143 in the frame, committing eight errors.
SET THREE: The Wildcats used another fast start, jumping out to an 8-3 edge on the strength of a pair of blocks and three other MSU errors. MSU battled its way back into the match, knotting the score at 13-13, getting a 7-2 run fueled by a kill and a block each from Chloe Reinig and Alyssa Garvelink. MSU took a 15-14 lead on a Brooke Kranda kill, but the Wildcats countered with three straight points to regain the lead at 17-15. Northwestern held a 22-19 edge, and kept its foot on the gas with
SET FOUR:Â MSU held a 5-4 lead, but a three-point swing went to the Wildcats after a pair of blocks and a service ace, as MSU called timeout trailing 7-5. The home team was energized with each big hit or block, and pushed its lead out to five, 15-10, which forced MSU to call its second and final timeout. Out of the second break, MSU used a 4-0 run, getting kills from Toliver and Kranda to make it a one-point game and forcing the Wildcats to use a timeout. A Kayla Morin kill stopped the MSU run, and a bad tip by MSU made it 17-14 again for NU. MSU trimmed it down to a single point, but Northwestern kept putting the pressure on, and pushed its lead out to four at 22-18. A Reinig kill staved off set point at 24-21, but Morin had the final dagger, putting away her 10th kill of the night for match point and giving the Wildcats the win.
TOP PERFORMERSÂ
Alyssa Garvelink had a season-best nine blocks, just shy of her career-best of 11 - set last Nov. 19, also vs, Northwestern. She added eight kills.
Chloe Reinig had 14 kills to lead the Spartans, hitting .250. She had three each digs, blocks, and assissts as well.
Holly Toliver had 11 kills and added a solo block and three digs.
Brooke Kranda had 12 kills and hit a team-best .346 , getting her first double-digit kill match in six tries. She last reached double-digit kills vs. Iowa (Oct. 10).
Rachel Minarick recorded 41 assists, nine digs, and added six kills, hitting .500 (6-2-8), and two blocks.
Kristen Muir had 12 digs the first time back in a libero jersey since Sept. 5. Abby Monson had five digs,
STATS AND STORYLINESÂ
MSU is now 36-34 all-time against Northwestern, and the Wildcats earned their first win in the last six meetings. MSU had also won five straight at Welch-Ryan Arena prior to tonight.
MSU was out-blocked for the fourth straight match (14-10), and surrendered 14 blocks to the Wildcats, tied with Illinois for the second-highest total this season. MSU had five team blocks in the first set alone, and finished with double-digit blocks for the first time since having 10 vs. Rutgers (Oct. 17).
MSU hit a scorching .464 in the first set, (16-3-28), and recorded five team blocks, as many as it had in four sets on Friday evening against Illinois. THe Spartans then hit .143, .200, and .194 in the next three sets while the Wildcats hit .583 in the second set and .385 in the fourth and deciding frame.
MSU had eight service errors and had 25 hitting errors, one shy of the 26 it had on Friday at Illinois.
The Spartans remain on the road next week, traveling for a game at Minnesota on Friday night (8 pm et, BTN) before a matinee at Wisconsin on Sunday that will air on ESPN2.
