Michigan State University
14-3,4-3Big Ten
Nebraska
17-0,7-0Big Ten
Spartans Smash Volleyball Attendance Record with 11,578 Fans Against No. 1 Nebraska
10/17/2025 10:25:00 PM | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball fell in a three-set battle (25-15, 25-18, 25-20) to No. 1-ranked and undefeated Nebraska Friday night inside the Breslin Center. With 11,578 fans in attendance, the Spartans smashed the previous attendance record by over 2,500 fans and set a new record for the highest-attended volleyball match in the state of Michigan.Â
The MSU volleyball and State of Michigan attendance records were both set two seasons ago inside the Breslin Center on Oct. 6, 2023, with 8,789 fans against the Cornhuskers.Â
MSU falls to 14-3 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten with the result, while Nebraska moves to 17-0 and 7-0 in the conference.Â
The Huskers out-hit the Spartans .383 to .209 and led in total kills (42-to-34), service aces (9-3), digs (30-23) and total blocks (9-4). Â
Junior outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska led the Spartans in kills with nine and hit .200 for the match, while senior opposite Evie Doezema added eight kills on a team-high .368 hitting clip and freshman outside hitter Bianca Mumcular tallied seven. Junior middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig posted a team-high three total blocks, including one solo block.Â
Redshirt freshman setter Malayah Long totaled a team-leading 27 assists and seven digs. She also provided one service ace alongside Mumcular and junior defensive specialist Ky Clayton.Â
Nebraska opened the first set with a 3-0 run, but a Staniszewska kill and a Husker service error following a Nebraska kill got the Spartans within two early at 4-2. Nebraska then followed with a 6-1 to force an MSU timeout at 10-3. The Spartans used two Nebraska errors to close the gap to five points at 10-5 and used a pair of kills from Mumcular and a Kulig solo block to rattle off three-straight points at 12-8. Another Mumcular kill after an MSU service error made it 13-9 in favor of the Huskers before MSU got within four again with a Doezema kill at 14-10. Three-straight Husker points gave Nebraska a seven-point lead at 17-10 before a pair of Doezma kills got the Spartans as close as six at 18-12, but a 7-3 Nebraska run sealed the first set, 25-15.Â
After the Huskers got out to a 7-0 start in the second frame, two kills from Doezema, kills from Staniszewska and Kulig, a Mumcular service ace and a Nebraska error helped MSU fire off six-straight points to get within a point at 7-6. Nebraska responded with a kill of its own to extend its lead to two, but another Kulig kill got the Spartans back within a point at 8-7. The Huskers followed with a 5-0 run to take a 13-7 lead and led by as much as nine at 20-11 before a Mumcular kill, Long ace and pair of Nebraska attacking errors got the Spartans back within five at 20-15. Nebraska followed with a three-point run and got to set point at 24-17 with a kill. A Kulig and Staniszewska block fought off the Husker set point, but an MSU service ace to follow gave the Huskers the second set, 25-18. Â
The teams traded points back-and-forth early in the final set until a 5-0 Nebraska run forced an MSU timeout at 9-4. Kills from Kulig and a returning Taylah Holdem got the Spartans within four at 14-10 before two more kills from Holdem, a Staniszewska kill and Clayton service ace helped MSU to a 4-0 run to force a Nebraska timeout at 16-14. A fourth kill from Holdem out of the timeout got the Spartans within one at 16-15. Two Nebraska errors helped shrink the Husker advantage to one again at 18-17 before Nebraska used a 4-1 run to force an MSU timeout at 22-18. A Kulig kill and block from Kulig and Staniszewska got MSU within three at 23-20, but two-straight Nebraska points to follow helped the Huskers secure the final set and the win, 25-20.Â
Up next, MSU hosts Maryland for its annual Breast Cancer Awareness Match on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. inside the Breslin Center.Â
