Michigan State University
Minnesota
Michigan State Volleyball Falls at Minnesota, 3-1
11/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 16, 2007
Minneapolis, Minn. - The Michigan State volleyball team dropped a 3-1 contest (23-30, 30-24, 21-30, 18-30 to Minnesota tonight in front of 3,853 at the Sports Pavilion on the Minnesota campus. The Spartans fall to 16-13 overall and 7-10 in the Big Ten season, while the Golden Gophers move to 16-11 and 9-8 on the campaign.
Senior Ashley Schatzle (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) posted her 17th double-double of the season in the loss with team-highs in kills (16) and digs (17). Freshman Jenilee Rathje (Mount Pleasant, Mich./Mount Pleasant) tied her career-high with 13 kills, also adding four block assists, while sophomore Vanessa King (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake) tied her career-best with nine block assists of her own.
With her 42 assists, freshman Lauren O'Reilly (Langley, British Columbia/Pacific Academy) broke the school's freshman assist record, passing Maggie Griffin (2004) with a season total of 1,325. O'Reilly also added 12 digs, tying her career-high, for her sixth double-double of the season. Senior Katie Johnson (Brooklyn, Mich./Columbia Central) chipped in 13 kills, while claassmate Miken Trogdon (Lisle, Ill./Wheaton St. Francis) had 15 digs.
The Golden Gophers controlled game one, taking it 30-23. MSU opened up an early 3-1 led but the cushion would be short-lived as Minnesota followed with a 6-2 run to take the lead for good. The Spartans hung close but a 8-2 run midway through the game provided the final separation. Rathje and Schatzle each had four kills in the initial game, while Schatzle also added seven digs.
In game two, the Spartans came out with a vengeance opening up a quick 14-1 lead. MSU took the first seven points of the game and followed it up with another run of seven consecutive points after the Gophers' first point of the game. King led the early MSU charge with two kills and three block assists in the early goings. Minnesota would post a couple runs of four or more consecutive points to chip into the deficit, but constant play by the Spartans would keep the lead at the working margin throughout. Schatzle and Rathje again led the Spartans in game two with five kills apiece, and King added three kills and five block assists.
In a polar opposite of game two, the Golden Gophers opened up a 10-1 margin to start game three. A 8-3 Spartan run closed it to a manageable 13-9 score, but they could not get any closer and Minnesota finished the game, 30-21. Schatzle had six kills and Johnson added five in game three.
Minnesota again jumped out to a quick start in game four, opening up a 12-6 lead that they would not relinquish, on their way to a 30-18 win. The Spartans kept it close at 20-15, but 8-1 run by the Gophers would follow and end the MSU hopes. Johnson had five kills in the game.
The Spartans close out the road portion of their 2007 regular season tomorrow night in Iowa City. MSU and Iowa are scheduled to square-off at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 8 p.m. (ET).
