Match Results
- #18 Michigan State def. Maryland 3-0, (25-14, 25-14, 25-21)
- Michigan State improves 10-2, (3-0 Big Ten); Maryland falls to 12-3, (1-2 Big Ten)
- East Lansing, Michigan
- Attendance: 3,438
- Match Stats
Michigan State has continued their hot streak in the Big Ten with a sweep over Maryland at home. The win moves the Spartans to 3-0 in Big Ten play.
The first set saw the Spartans advance to a 9-3 lead early and continued to hold on to the lead throughout the remainder of the set. Michigan State built its lead slowly and hit a consistent .320 in the set, finishing the first 25-14 to take the 1-0 match advantage. The second set saw the Terps taking an 8-6 lead before the Spartans unleashed on Maryland with a 12-2 run that took Michigan State to an 18-10 lead. A 7-4 run ended the set off Holly Toliver and Autumn Bailey kills.
The final set saw the Terps taking a 6-4 lead, they kept this going throughout the set until a 6-3 put the Spartans ahead 15-11. Late in the set, the Spartans went up 24-17 but the Terps fought back four match points before falling on a Toliver kill.
Toliver led the Spartans with 12 kills on a .476 hitting clip while picking up eight digs, in the back row Bailey picked up a team-best 10 digs along with seven kills.
The Terps were led by Erika Pritchard with nine kills while Kelsey Wicinski picked up a match-best 19 digs.
Press Release
Courtesy of Michigan State Athletics
SPARTAN SYNOPSIS
The Michigan State volleyball team opened the home portion of its Big Ten schedule with a 3-0 sweep of visiting Maryland (25-14, 25-14, 25-21). The Spartans are now 10-2 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play. Maryland falls to 12-3 and 1-2 in the second weekend of Conference action.
The Spartans took easy wins in the first two sets by identical 25-14 scores, then utilized their bench a bit more in the third frame where they secured the match victory with a 25-21 win.
Holly Toliver was the match leader in kills with 12, including the last three Spartan points in the third set. She hit .476 (12-2-21) and added eight digs, a pair of aces, and onne each assist and block. Three players had seven kills for MSU – Megan Tompkins, Autumn Bailey, and Brooke Kranda ; Tompkins added four blocks to lead all players in the match. Rachel Minarick had 30 assists and three aces to go with her eight digs, which was third behind Bailey (10) and freshman libero Jamye Cox (9).
For Maryland, Erika Pritchard had nine kills, hit a team-best .280, and added a pair of digs.
The Spartans return to action on Saturday when they host Ohio State in an 8 pm match at Jenison Field House.
QUOTABLE
“It truly seemed like it took forever between our first home tournament and when we got to return home to play in front of our home fans. Our student section was great, our atmosphere was outstanding, and its so great to feel the building behind you. I really thought our players did a good job of putting last weekend behind them and focusing on the task at hand tonight – there’s no easy opponent and no easy night. We’re halfway there – we will have our hands full again tomorrow night.”
– Head Coach Cathy George
TOP PERFORMERS
- Holly Toliver had a match -best 12 kills, hit 476, and added eight digs and an ace.
- Autumn Bailey finished with seven kills, hit 368, and finished with double-digit digs (10).
- Megan Tompkins had seven kills, hit .667 (7-1-9) and had four blocks and a dig.
- Rachel Minarick finished with 20 assists, three aces, and eight digs.STATS AND STORYLINES
- MSU won its fifth straight match and third straight in Conference play.
- The Spartans went 11 deep on their bench.
- MSU hit .314 on the night, its highest yet in Big Ten play. MSU, which is averaging an opponent hitting percentage of .124 (second in the Big Ten ) held the Terps to .133.
- MSU had a season-low five blocks in the match, but countered with nine service aces, let by three from Minarick and two each from Toliver and Cox.
GAME REPLAY - SET ONE: MSU raced out to a 9-3 lead to force the visitors into their first time out, as the Spartans put together a pair of aces and three kills that got the crowd going early. MSU built its lead slowly and methodically, hitting a consistent .320, getting three kills and a block each from Autumn Bailey and Holly Toliver.
- SET TWO: The Terps took a 6-4 lead and held on to the advantage through 8-6, at which point MSU rolled off a 12-2 run to go up eight, 18-10 at which point the Terps called their second time out. With MSU leading 22-14, the visitors served long to put MSU within two points of a 2-0 lead. A Toliver kill put the Spartans at set point, and Bailey delivered the kill shot to seal the second set for MSU. Toliver had six kills in the set along with three digs and an ace, while Kranda had four terminations.
- SET THREE: Maryland came out and took a 6-4 lead, their largest of the night. The teams then got into a game of cat and mouse, as the Terps kept MSU in a one-or two-point deficit until a 6-3 Spartan run allowed MSU to pull ahead by four at 15-11, when Maryland called a timeout. MSU got to set point with a pair of Toliver kills that made it 24-17, but the Terps were able to stave off four set points as MSU went to its bench. Toliver sealed the win with her 12th kill of the match.
Press Release
Courtesy of Maryland Athletics
Junior libero Kelsey Wicinski tallied 19 digs but the Maryland volleyball team (12-3, 1-2 B1G) fell to No. 16 Michigan State (10-2, 3-0) in three sets (25-14, 25-14, 25-21) Friday evening.
“Credit to Michigan State, they’re a very experienced team,” head coach Steve Aird said. “Competing on the road is really tough in this conference, and this roster is really young. I need to do a better at prepping the team and getting them ready.”
Freshman outside hitter Erika Pritchard led Maryland with nine kills and hit .280. Sophomore outside Gia Milana added eight kills.
The Terps struggled at the service line, making 11 service errors and just two aces. Michigan State had nine aces in the match.
Milana and Pritchard were able to notch early kills but the Spartans took a 9-3 lead in the first set. Milana posted a solo block in the middle of the set, but Michigan State pushed its lead to 20-10. Abigail Bentz served an ace and Samantha Drechsel had a late kill, but the home team was able to take the first, 25-14. Wicinski had nine digs in the first game.
Murray had a solo block and Jada Gardnercombined with Pritchard for another as the Terps took a 6-4 lead early in the second. Maryland hung close with the Spartans before MSU used a 10-1 run to take an 18-10 lead. Angel Gaskin and Pritchard had late kills, but the Spartans took the second, 25-14.
Pritchard had four kills and Maryland hit .265 in the third as Maryland tried to stay in the match. The Terps again stuck close early, but the Spartans worked to a 17-13 lead. With Michigan State at match point, Maryland was able to extend the set four times, including an ace from Angel Gaskin. A Spartan kill ended the match, 25-21.
The Terps return to action at No. 23 Michigan Saturday at 7 p.m.
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