Michigan State University
18-11,8-11Big Ten
USC
23-6,14-5Big Ten
Volleyball Falls to No. 14 USC
11/26/2025 8:39:00 PM | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball dropped a three-set contest to No. 14 USC (23-25, 18-25, 19-25) Wednesday night inside the Breslin Center.Â
MSU falls to 18-11 overall and 8-11 in the B1G with the result, while the Trojans improve to 23-6 and 14-5.Â
USC hit .333 for the match and led in kills (48-33), digs (40-35) and total blocks (10.5-6), while the teams both posted five service aces apiece. Â
Junior outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska posted her team-leading eighth double-double of the season with a team-best 11 kills on .250 hitting and 12 digs. Freshman Bianca Mumcular added 10 kills and a team-high three blocks, while junior outside hitter Taylah Holdem added six kills and six digs. Â
Junior Lia Schneider posted a team-best three service aces and seven digs. Redshirt freshman setter Malayah Long led MSU in assists with 20.Â
With five early kills from Holdem, MSU got out to an 11-7 start in the first set. USC used a 6-2 to tie the set up at 13-13, but a Mumcular kill gave the Spartans the lead again by a point at 14-13. The Trojans tied the set up again at 14-14 with a kill before a service error helped the Spartans to a one-point lead at the media timeout, 15-14. A Staniszewska kill and Schneider service ace gave MSU the lead by a pair at 17-15 before USC responded with a 4-2 to tie the set at 19-19, but a Trojan service error followed by a Mya Bolton service ace forced a USC timeout at a two-point, 21-19 MSU lead. The Spartans took a timeout after a pair of USC kills brought the Trojans within a point at 22-21 before USC used a 3-1 run to get to set point at 24-23. USC used a kill out of an MSU timeout to take the first, 25-23.Â
After USC took a 5-3 lead to start the second, MSU fired off three-straight points with a block from Holdem and Zuzanna Kulig, a USC attack error and Cam Berger service ace to take a one-point lead at 6-5. The Trojans responded with an 8-3 to force an MSU timeout at 13-9 and followed with two more points out of the timeout to extend their lead to six at 15-9, but back-to-back MSU blocks from Carmen Waye and Mumcular and Waye and Holdem, a USC attack error and Schneider service ace got the Spartans within three at 16-13. The Trojans followed with a 3-1 run to force another MSU timeout at 19-14. The Spartans used kills from Mumcular and Staniszewska to get back within four at 20-16, but the Trojans closed the set on a 5-2 run to take the second, 25-18.Â
In a back-and-forth third set, neither team was able to take more than a one-point lead until USC opened a three-point lead at 13-10 to force an MSU timeout. The Spartans cut the USC lead to a pair with a 4-2 run with a kill from Holdem, two kills from Evie Doezema and a Schneider service ace at 16-14, but the Trojans responded with three-straight points to extend their lead back to five at 19-14. The Spartans took a timeout after USC opened a six point advantage at 23-17 before MSU fought off two USC set points with a Mumcular kill at 24-18 and and USC attack error at 24-19, but USC ended the set with a kill, 25-19.Â
Up next, MSU closes the regular season against UCLA at the Breslin Center on Friday, Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. The Spartans will honor seniors Danyle Courtley and Evie Doezema in a post-match ceremony.Â
