Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan State
Michigan State Nips Volleyball Team in Five Games
11/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 29, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Northwestern's volleyball team held a two games-to-one lead and held a 24-19 advantage in the fourth game, but couldn't finish off Michigan State Friday night in East Lansing, Mich. The host Spartans rallied for a 29-31, 30-19, 27-30, 31-29, 15-9 victory, dropping the Wildcats to 17-14 overall and 10-9 in the Big Ten. MSU improves to 19-10 and 11-8.
Michigan State outblocked the Wildcats 21.5-to-9.5 in the match and outhit NU .274-to-.162. Erika Lange (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) and Iwona Lodzik (Tarnobrzeg, Poland/Tarnobrzeg) led Northwestern with 19 kills apiece. Angela Morley led Michigan State with 13 kills, a .632 hitting percentage and 10 total blocks. Kim Schram had a team-high 19 kills for MSU.
The teams split the first 20 points of the opening game before the Wildcats scored four of the next five points for a 14-11 lead. Michigan State tied the match 17-17, but NU used another 4-1 run to surge ahead 22-18. Northwestern's held a 24-21 advantage but the Spartans used a 4-1 spurt of their own to go ahead 25-24.
MSU appeared to have the game wrapped up after taking a 29-27 advantage. However, the Wildcats responded for the emotional victory, scoring the final four points, including back-to-back service aces by Cassie McKnight (San Marcos, Calif./San Marcos) to close out the set. Lange and Lodzik led NU with six kills apiece.
Michigan State got out to an early lead in Game 2, jumping ahead 6-3 and would not trail the rest of the way. Leading 10-8, the Spartans pulled away from the 'Cats with an 8-2 run to go ahead 18-10. NU would never get the deficit under seven the remainder the game.
MSU was unstoppable on the attack in the game, posting a team hitting percentage of .607 with 19 kills and only two errors. Northwestern recorded just three digs in the frame.
The Wildcats played from behind early in the third game, but eventually went ahead 11-10. NU's lead was 16-15 when a phantom tip was called on a Spartan attack. MSU scored the ensuing three points as well to give Michigan State a 19-18 lead.
With the score knotted 25-25, a Spartan service error, a Kelli Meyer (Madison, Wis./Edgewood) kill and an MSU attack error gave the 'Cats a 28-25 lead. A Christie Gardner (West Bend, Wis./East) kill sandwiched a pair of points by the Spartans before Lange ended the game with a kill. NU outhit MSU .333-to-.200 in the game.
Northwestern got out of the gates quickly in Game 4, jumping ahead 5-1. The Wildcats' lead was 9-4 when Michigan State was forced to burn an early timeout. The Spartans gradually crept back into the game, cutting NU's lead to one on three occasions.
The 'Cats' lead was 20-18 when they scored three consecutive points to take a five-point lead, resulting in MSU burning its final timeout. Trailing 24-19, the Spartans charged back with four straight points to make it 24-23.
Michigan State eventually made it all the way back. With the score knotted 27-27, the Wildcats took a 28-27 lead on a service error. An MSU kill and a Northwestern attack error gave Michigan State a 29-28 lead. A ball-handling error by the Spartans tied things at 29-29 before the hosts forced the fifth game with a kill and a block. NU hit just .050 in the game, compared to .174 for Michigan State.
MSU jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead in the final game, resulting in a Northwestern timeout. Three straight points got the Wildcats to within 6-5. The Spartans held an 8-6 lead as the teams switched sides. Facing an 11-7 deficit, the 'Cats burned their final timeout.
However, Northwestern would get no closer the rest of the way as Michigan State overcame the two games-to-one hole. The Spartans hit .357 in the fifth game while NU hit just .038.
The Wildcats wrap up the regular season at 6 p.m. Saturday night when they travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on Michigan.
