IU takes B1G Opener, 3-0

GAME CAPSULE

Michigan State fell in the Big Ten opener at Indiana on Friday 3-0 (21-25, 23-25, 19-25). MSU falls to 7-3, 0-1 B1G, while IU improves to 7-6, 1-0 in conference play.

MSU had leads in each of the first two sets, but a determined IU squad wanted a win on its home court and fought back each time. The Spartans were held back by 13 service errors and 22 other hitting miscues (35-22-116, .112), despite a 9-3 edge in blocks.

Sarah Franklin had a team-best 12 kills, hitting .205 and recording a career-best four blocks. Naya Gros had six blocks to lead all players, and added three kills, while Biamba Kabengele had six kills and 10 digs.

Michigan State continues the opening weekend of Big Ten Conference play on Sunday at Michigan. The match in Crisler arena is slated for 1 pms.

PLAYER HIGHS

Naya Gros had a match-best six bo=locks and added three kills on just seven swings.
Sarah Franklin had 12 kills, hit .205, and added four blocks (her season best) and five digs

STATS AND STORYLINES

MSU had a season-high 13 service errors and hit a season-low .112.

SET SYNOPSIS

SET ONE: An early 4-2 lead for the Spartans was erased by a 4-0 run for the home team, and with a slim 9-8 lead, the Spartans scored five of the next six points to take a 14-9 lead, forcing IU into its first time out. Both teams struggled with some early unforced errors – each squad had two service miscues and a combined nine hitting errors at the midpoint of the set. Three straight kills from the Hoosiers brought the home team within a point at 15-14, but the Spartans got the sideout on a Franklin termination – her fourth. The teams found themselves tied at 19, with MSU holding the blocking edge (5-1) and IU the lead in kills (10-8) – but both teams were hitting just over .100. IU used a 4-1 run to pull ahead 23-20, taking advantage of a kill, and ace, and two MSU errors and forcing the Spartans into their second time out. IU closed out the set 25-21, holding MSU to an .083 hitting percentage (11-8-36). Franklin posted four kills, while Max-Brown had five digs and a kill.

SET TWO: IU battled back from an early 7-4 deficit to tie things up at 8-8, and the teams were within two points as they got to 14-14. And with things tied up at 16-16, Franklin put down consecutive kills – but then IU battled back with consecutive terminations to tie things back up. With MSU leading 20-18, the home team called time out – and reeled off three straight points out of the break to pull ahead 21-20 and force MSU into a time out. The Spartans regrouped and pulled ahead at 23-22 on a big block at the right pin by Gros (her fifth) and Franklin, and after IU called a time out, three straight Spartan errors gave the Hoosiers a 25-23 win in set two. MSU had fewer errors in the second frame (five, compared to eight in set one) but had five service errors. Sarah Franklin tacked on another four kills and added a third block, while Gros had two blocks.

SET THREE: MSU pulled ahead 7-6 on a 3-1 run capped by a Gros kill, but IU countered with a 3-0 run to go up 9-8. A 4-1 run pushed the home team lead out to 13-9, and the home team pulled ahead by its larges margin of the night at 17-12. Indiana had found its footing – reaching the 20-point mark by hitting .364 (9-1-22), as MSU had seven errors on 30 swings against just eight kills. MSU called time out trailing by six, but came out of the break with a Cullen kill and a block by Cullen and Gros. IU got the points back immediately, and closed it out despite the Spartans fighting to the last point with a 25-19 win in the frame. Franklin had another four kills in the set to lead MSU, which hit .045 (11-9-44) compared to .265 for the home team (11-2-34) and .200 for the match.

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Team Stats

Sarah Franklin

Biamba Kabengele

Rebecka Poljan

Cecilee Max-Brown

Players Mentioned

Sarah Franklin

Naya Gros

Biamba Kabengele

Players Mentioned

Sarah Franklin

Naya Gros

Biamba Kabengele