Michigan State University
Miami - Orange and Green Challenge
State Regains Winning Momentum, Downs Miami 3-1
9/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
MSU vs. Miami (Fla.) Box Score
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Sept. 17, 2005
CORAL GABLES, FLa. - The Michigan State volleyball team continued action at the Orange & Green Challenge facing host Miami (5-2) in the morning match-up. State (7-2) took the four game match 3-1 (30-25, 30-26, 26-30, 30-21), behind double-digit kill totals by sophomore Katie Johnson with 26, while senior Megan Wallin and sophomore Ashley Schatzle added 14 and 15, respectively. Miami falls to 5-2 on the year, while the Spartans improve to 7-2 in 2005.
State opened game one taking a 10-5 lead behind the service of senior defensive specialist Marley Bellwood. Two consecutive MSU kills by Wallin and Schatzle gave the Spartans the 15-10 advantage, forcing the Hurricanes to take their first timeout of the contest hoping to stall the Spartan scoring streak. The teams battled point-for-point as MSU extended its lead to 25-18 after a lengthy offensive rally. Behind 15 assists by senior setter Mickey Davis and five kills from Wallin, State took the opening set 30-25. State tallied 19 kills compared to just 13 by the Miami offense, while defensively, UM held the 4.0 to 1.0 total block advantage in game one.
After a Wallin and Johnson block assist, MSU took the slight 13-10 lead, opening game two of the morning session. Plagued by service errors, the Spartan offense struggled to find momentum as the two teams matched point-for-point with the score knotted at 17-17. Three consecutive points by State resulted in UM taking its first timeout of the set at the 20-17 mark, however the next two points went to the Hurricanes nearing the Spartan lead at 20-19. Sophomore libero Nicole Colaluca tallied two consecutive aces bettering the MSU lead at 23-19, before four consecutive points by the UM offense neared the Spartan lead. Despite the UM run, a Johnson kill and Hurricane blocking error propelled the Spartans to the 30-26 game two win. Johnson added eight kills and three digs in the second set, while senior Brook Langston tallied five kills hitting .429 in game two.
UM took its first lead of the match to open the third set, extending its advantage to 10-5. The defensive stand at the net by the Hurricane defense continued, as a Ciara Michel and Karla Johnson block assist led UM to score five unanswered points extending its lead to 21-13. State rallied behind two consecutive kills by freshman outside hitter Heather McDaniel to near the lead at 23-21, however UM never relinquished its lead, taking game three 30-26. The UM defense tallied 6.0 total blocks compared to 2.0 total blocks by MSU at the net. State posted 16 hitting errors, hitting -.043 in the set, compared to just eight errors and a .075 hitting percentage by the Miami offense.
With game four tied at 14-14, the Spartans erupted, outscoring UM, 7-2, to take the 21-16 lead. The lead held as MSU captured its seventh win of the 2005 season with a 30-21 game four and match victory. Leading the way offensively for the Spartans was Johnson with 26 kills, seven digs, two block solos and one block assist for the match, while Davis added 61 assists and seven digs. Colaluca posted 26 digs and four aces in the victory, while Bellwood added 13 digs for MSU. UM out-blocked the Spartans, 17.0 to 6.0, for the match, while the .211 hitting percentage by the Spartans was slightly better than the .142 tally by the Hurricane offense.
State concludes action at the Orange & Green Challenge when it faces Sacramento State tonight at 5 p.m.
