Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
10-0,0-0Big Ten
Drake
5-7,0-0MVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | 22 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| Michigan St. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Spartans Sweep Drake in Kathy DeBoer Invitational Opener, Move to 10-0 in 2026
9/18/2026 8:49:00 PM | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball opened Kathy DeBoer Invitational action on Friday evening with a 3-0 sweep of Drake (25-22, 25-13, 25-13) inside the Breslin Center.Â
MSU moves to 10-0 (0-0 B1G) with the win, while Drake drops to 5-7 (0-0 MVC). After finishing last season's non-conference season undefeated, MSU is 10-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1975-76.Â
The Spartans put up their second-best hitting efficiency of the season with a .442 clip on the night and held the Bulldogs to .119 hitting. MSU led in kills (41-24), total blocks (7-5) and service aces (12-4), while the teams were even in digs (23).Â
Senior outside hitter Alanna Bankston recorded her seventh double-digit kill match of the season with a team-high and career-high-tying 18 kills on .640 hitting. Junior middle blocker Carmen Waye put down seven kills on .462 hitting and led with four total blocks while adding a team-high-tying three service aces. Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews recorded six kills.Â
Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long posted a team-best 32 assists and added a pair of service aces and five digs. Senior defensive specialist Ky Clayton tied Waye with a team and season-high three service aces, while senior libero Lia Schneider led MSU in digs with six.Â
MSU closed an early 5-2 Drake advantage in the first set with a Zora Hardison kill, Hayley Ogden service ace and Drake attack error to tie the set at 5-5. After the Spartans used a Bankston kill to get within one at 9-8 before the Bulldogs fired off four-straight points to force an MSU timeout at 13-8. A Bankston kill out of the timeout cut the Drake advantage to four, but back-to-back Drake points to follow gave the Bulldogs a 15-9 lead at the media timeout. Putting pressure on from the service line, MSU forced a Drake timeout after cutting the Drake lead to two at 16-14 with a 5-1 run with kills from Ogden and Waye, service aces from Clayton and Waye and a Drake attack error. The Bulldogs took the lead again by three with two kills at 18-15 before MSU used a 4-0 run with two Drake errors and a pair of Bankston kills to take its first lead of the set and force a Drake timeout at 19-18. Behind three more Bankston kills and back-to-back service aces from Long, MSU reached set point at 24-20 and won the set with Bankston's 10th kill of the frame, 25-22.Â
The Spartans opened a 7-2 lead in the second set with kills from Bankston, Waye and Staniszewska, a block from Waye and Ogden and a Waye service ace. A pair of Waye kills, Clayton service ace and Drake error helped the Spartans to a 4-1 run to take a 15-9 lead at the media timeout. MSU extended its run and lead with a pair of Drake attack errors, a block from Waye and Staniszewska and Ogden kill to force a Bulldog timeout at 19-9. Drake took another timeout after a 3-0 MSU run with back-to-back Andrews kills and a block from Long and Hardison gave MSU a 23-12 advantage. An Andrews kill got the Spartans to set point at 24-12 and a Hardison kill ended the set, 25-13.Â
Drake called a timeout early in the third set after MSU opened a 10-5 lead, using a 4-1 run with kills from Andrews and Bankston and a block from Long and Hardison. Back-to-back Bankston kills helped extend the Spartan lead to nine at 15-6 at the media timeout. Drake got as close as seven at 20-13, but a 4-0 MSU run with two kills from Bianca Mumcular, a Bankston and Hardison block and service ace from Andrews got MSU to set point at 24-13 before a Drake attack error ended the set and match, 25-13.Â
Up next, MSU closes non-conference action with its final Kathy DeBoer Invitational match against Wright State on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. inside the Breslin Center. The match will stream on B1G+.Â
