Spartans Open Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge Week with Sweep Over LSU

Tuesday, September 1

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:30 PM

Michigan State University

3-0,0-0Big Ten

LSU

2-1,0-0SEC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Michigan St.	25	25	25	3
LSU	21	20	19	0

Photo by: Ynhi Le

Spartans Open Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge Week with Sweep Over LSU

9/1/2026 7:09:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score MSU 3, LSU 0

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball swept LSU (25-21, 25-20, 25-19) in its opening match of the Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge Week Tuesday afternoon inside Michigan's Crisler Center.

MSU moves to 3-0 (0-0 B1G) with the win, dealing LSU (2-1, 0-0 SEC) its first loss of the season. After starting the 2025 season at 10-0, MSU is has now gone 3-0 to open the season in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2011-12.

The Spartans held LSU to .047 hitting and led the Tigers in kills (36-to-27), blocks (8-to-7) and service aces (4-to-3). The teams were even in digs with 29 each.

Senior outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska put up a team-best 14 kills and added four digs and a service ace. Senior outside hitter Alanna Bankston added seven kills and four digs, while senior middle blocker Zora Hardison put down six kills and led MSU in total blocks with five. Junior middle blocker Carmen Waye posted four kills and three total blocks and recorded a career-high and team-best three service aces.

Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long provided a team-best 29 assists and added six digs. Senior libero Lia Schneider led MSU in digs with nine.

MSU tied the first set at 12-12 with a 4-1 run capped off by a Staniszewska kill after LSU jumped out to an 11-8 early lead. An MSU service error gave the Tigers a one-point lead at 13-12 before two LSU errors and a Hardison kill put MSU up by one, 15-14, at the media timeout. MSU continued its run out of the timeout with a solo Carmen Waye block and Waye and Long block to take a three-point lead and force an LSU timeout at 17-14. The Tigers got within one at 17-16 and again at 18-17, but a 4-1 run from MSU with three LSU errors and a Staniszewska kill forced another LSU timeout at a 22-18 Spartan lead. MSU extended its lead to five after a challenge confirmed another Tiger attacking error. The Tigers responded with two-straight points to force MSU into a timeout of its own at 23-20. LSU halted MSU's first set point at 24-21 after a Hardison kill, but another Hardison kill gave MSU the first set, 25-21.

The Spartans took advantage of a number of LSU errors and used a pair of Bankston kills to take a 9-4 lead in the second set. After an LSU timeout, the Tigers scored back-to-back points to cut the MSU advantage to three, but MSU responded with three-straight points from a Waye kill and pair of LSU errors to take a 12-6 lead. MSU called a timeout of its own after a 4-1 Tiger run cut the MSU lead to three at 14-11. MSU responded with a Staniszewska kill to take a 15-11 lead at the media timeout. A trio of Bankston kills, Staniszewska kill and LSU service error helped MSU to a 5-1 at 19-12 and a kill from Staniszewska got MSU to set point at 24-17. The Tigers fought off three MSU set points, but another Staniszewska kill ended the set at 25-20 to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead in the match.

MSU rattled off five-straight points with four kills from Staniszewska and a Long and Hardison block to take an early 5-2 lead in the third set. LSU got back within a pair after two straight points, but a 5-0 MSU run with two Staniszewska kills, a Long kill, block from Bankston and Hardison and a Staniszewska service ace forced an LSU timeout at 10-4. Kills from Waye and Long and three LSU errors then helped MSU to a 5-1 run and 15-6 lead at the media timeout. The Spartans continued to put the pressure on the Tigers in the following points, forcing LSU into a timeout after taking a nine-point, 22-13 lead. LSU scored three-straight points out of the timeout to force an MSU timeout at 22-17. The Tigers stopped MSU's first match point with a kill after Waye put MSU up 24-18, but an Ogden kill ended the set and match, 25-19.

Up next, MSU concludes Challenge Week action against South Carolina on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. inside the Crisler Center. The match will stream on B1G+.