MATCH NOTES
- #19 Michigan State def. Central Michigan 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 26-24)
- Michigan State moves to 6-2; Central Michigan drops to 8-3
- Notre Dame Shamrock Invitational, South Bend, Indiana
- Attendance: 375
- Box Score
- VolleyMob Top 25 (Week 4)
After suffering their 2nd loss of the season to Shamrock Invitational host Notre Dame the previous night, the #19 Michigan State Spartans responded with a sweep of their own, defeating Central Michigan in straight sets.
As a team, the Spartans hit at an impressive .464 clip and 11 players saw action with nine playing at least two sets. Sophomore setter Maggie Midgette dished out 38 assists, and freshman Meredith Norris recorded five kills, seven digs and two blocks. Freshman Jamye Cox started at libero, the first of her career, notching 17 digs and two aces. Michigan State was led offensively by senior outsides Holly Toliver and Autumn Bailey who had 11 kills each.
For Central Michigan, senior outside Jordan Beuter, notched 13 kills playing in her hometown. Sophomore Megan Kern added 12 digs.
The first two sets were all Michigan State as they won easily 25-14, 25-15. In the third, the outcome was much more in doubt as back-to-back Beuter kills knotted the score at 23, forcing a Spartan timeout. That was as close as the Chips got as a double stuff from Midgette and senior middle Megan Tompkins ended the set and match.
The Spartans face Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon and Central Michigan takes on Notre Dame tonight to conclude the Shamrock Invitational.
Here's the highlights from this morning's win over Central Michigan: pic.twitter.com/h29YEbUNK4
— MSU Volleyball (@MichStVB) September 16, 2017
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy: Michigan State Athletics
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
Michigan State posted a commanding 3-0 victory over Central Michigan on Saturday morning (25-15, 25-14, 26-24) at the Shamrock Invitational at Notre Dame. No. 23 MSU improves to 6-2 on the season, and has one match remaining Saturday afternoon vs. Southern Illinois to complete non-conference play . CMU falls to 8-2.
The Spartans built to large leads in each of the first two sets to take 10- and 11-point wins, but the Chippewas took an early four-point lead in the third frame, forcing the Green and White to fight back into it. MSU tied it at 15-all in the third frame, and then went up by as many as three points before the Chippewas battled and tied the set at 23-23, when MSU took its first time out.
MSU hit .361 for the match – the Spartans hit .444 and .467 in the first two sets, respectively, with five hitting errors. In the third set, MSU hit .225, and the Chippewas hit their match best .250 after holding a .066 hitting percentage in the first two sets combined (.143 for the match).
MSU used its bench liberally in the match, and freshman Jamye Cox got her first start at libero, finishing with 17 digs and a pair of aces. Setter Maggie Midgette had 38 assists to tie her season and career best, while seniors Autumn Bailey and Holly Toliver each had 11 kills.
For the second straight match, MSU struggled at the service line – MSU committed eight service errors against CMU after nine in Friday’s match vs. Notre Dame. MSU did counter with three aces in the Saturday match, compared to just one the night prior vs. the Irish.
MSU will face Southern Illinois (4:30 pm) on Saturday afternoon to wrap up its weekend action.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Autumn Bailey finished with 11 kills, seven of which came in the third set, and hit .346 with seven digs.
- Holly Toliver hit .429 and shared the team lead of 11 kills, and added a block and four digs.
- Maggie Midgette had 38 assists, tying her career best set vs. Corpus Christi on Sept. 2
STATS AND STORYLINES
- MSU used its bench liberally in the match, as 11 players saw action, and nine played at least two sets.
- Freshman Meredith Norris had five kills, seven digs, and a pair of blocks in two sets of action, hitting .364.
- Freshman Jamye Cox earned her first collegiate start in a libero jersey. She had played the most sets of any non-senior entering the weekend, and finished with 17 digs and two aces.
- CMU is coached by longtime MSU assistant Mike Gawlik, who was on Cathy George’s staff for the first 11 years of her tenure on the Spartan sidelines. Gawlik’s assistant is former Spartan assistant Krista Rice.
Courtesy: Central Michigan Athletics
Volleyball Falls To No. 23 Michigan State
Chippewas (8-3) close Shamrock Invitational on Saturday vs. host Irish
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Michigan State posted a .361 attack percentage on Saturday in handing Central Michigan a 3-0 loss in the Chippewas’ second game of the Notre Dame Shamrock Vollyeball Invitational.
The loss dropped CMU to 8-3. The Chippewas close the tournament on Saturday night against the host Irish (8-1).
Michigan State, which is ranked 23rd, topped the Chippewas 25-15, 25-14, 26-24. Autumn Bailey and Holly Toliver finished with 11 kills apiece to lead the Spartans.
Jordan Bueter had 13 kills to lead CMU, which finished with a .143 attack percentage. Paige Carey added nine kills, setter Grace Butler had 28 assists, and Megan Kern finished 12 digs to lead CMU.
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