Spartans Swept By Nationally-Ranked Boilermakers

Oct. 29, 2005

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Spartans traveled to West Lafayette, Ind. Saturday night to battle the 16th ranked Purdue Boilermakers in Big Ten action where State fell 0-3 in the conference match-up (30-21, 30-24, 30-28). With the loss, MSU falls to 10-12, 3-9 Big Ten, while Purdue improves to 19-3, 9-3 in conference play. Leading the way for MSU was Katie Johnson with 17 kills, while Megan Wallin and Ashley Schatzle added nine and 10 respectively in the loss. State managed just 2.0 total blocks for the match, while libero Nicole Colaluca paced the backcourt with 15 digs on the night.

After a Tracy Bellwood ace gave State the opening point of the night, the Boilermakers took a dominant 11-5 upperhand behind the fiery jump serve of junior Brittany Dildine. The Spartans refused to give in, as Melany Rarey recorded an ace at the service stripe to near the Purdue lead at 17-11. The lead would prove too great however as MSU hit just .171 for the set en route to a 30-21 Boilermaker win. State tallied eight errors compared to just two by Purdue, while defensively the Boilermakers held the 4.0 to 0.0 block advantage. For the set, Johnson hit a floor-best six kills, as Spartan setter Mickey Davis tallied 14 assists and three digs.

The teams would match points early in game two, however a 7-4 run by the Boilermaker offense would edge the lead to 18-12 forcing Spartan head coach Cathy George to take her first timeout of the set. A Johnson block solo would near the lead at 21-15, as MSU would score six of the next 10 to edge the score to 25-21. A Johnson and Jessica Hohl kill would follow, however the Spartan defense was unable to match 15 kills at the net as Purdue battled for the 30-24 game two win. Johnson added four kills in the set, however hitting errors continued to plague MSU. Hitting ten errors for the set and a combined 18 through the first two games of the match, MSU managed to post just a .043 percentage for the set.

The Purdue lead would reach the 10-6 mark behind the service of Dildine before a Schatzle kill would halt the momentum. State would score four of the next five to near the lead at 12-10 as the teams would match points until a Wallin kill would tie the contest at the 15-15 mark. State would take its first lead of the match at the 17-16 mark followed by a Johnson kill to edge the lead to 18-16. A Boilermaker block would force the Spartans to take their first timeout of the set with the score tied at 22-22. A left-side Schatzle kill would give the Spartans the 25-24 edge, however a block assist by the Purdue defense would seal the 30-28 win and match sweep.

The Boilermakers out-hit State .291 to .155 for the match, while defensively Purdue held the 12.0 to 2.0 total block advantage. Both teams struggled from the service stripe where the Spartans tallied six against eight by the Boilermaker offense. Davis finished with 44 assists in the match.

Michigan State continues conference action next weekend when it plays host to Iowa and Minnesota Nov. 4 and 5. Both games are slated for 7 p.m. start times at Jenison Field House.