Even with a career night from freshman outside hitter Kim Schram, the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes proved to be too much for the Spartan volleyball team as they downed MSU 3-1 Saturday at Jenison Field House.
The Buckeyes (17-1, 9-1 Big Ten) utilized numerous weapons in the match, led by outside hitter Anne Botica’s 17 kills.
Schram led both teams with 20 kills, a career-high, and only committed five errors. Eighteen of her 20 kills came in the last three games of the four-game match.
In the match’s first game, Ohio State jumped out ahead of the Spartans 11-5 behind a kill from middle blocker Erin Baker.
After trading points to make the score 12-6, the Spartans (11-6, 4-6) scored five straight points to trail 12-11.
But Spartans couldn’t get closer than that for the rest of the match, as the Buckeyes pulled away late.
An attack error by sophomore middle blocker Jenny Rood ended the first game 30-24 in the Buckeyes favor.
The Spartans were able to knot the match at one game a piece, winning game two 30-24. The home team controlled the match throughout the game.
With Rood’s service ace, the Spartans took a 4-1 lead. After a Botica kill, the Spartans put together another scoring run, stealing another four points off the Buckeyes.
The Spartans stretched their lead to as much as nine with the score 14-5 after a thunderous kill by senior outside hitter Erin Hartley.
The Spartans sealed the game 30-24 on a kill from freshman outside hitter Michelle Kopka.
But they couldn’t carry over the momentum to games three and four.
The Buckeyes jumped out to a 9-4 lead on a service ace fired by freshman outside hitter Stacey Gordon.
The early five-point deficit grew larger the game continued, and the Buckeyes rolled over the Spartans 30-18.
The Buckeyes closed out game four and the match by winning the fourth game 30-26.
An early 11-8 Spartan lead vanished as the Buckeyes rallied behind tough service from defensive specialist Nikki Cisco. Consecutive aces from Cisco knotted the game at 11.
Ohio State stretched its lead to three when a Botica kill ended a long rally and made the score 14-11. A Hartley kill ended Cisco’s serve and got the Spartans back within two.
Freshman outside hitter Diana Steplyk’s tough short serves were difficult for the Buckeyes to handle and sparked a six-point run, which Kopka capped with a kill.
After the scoring run, the Spartans led the Buckeyes 17-14.
Ohio State rebounded quickly and grabbed a 24-22 lead on outside hitter Shelly Draeger’s kill.
The Spartans tied the match at 24 after junior middle blocker Angela Morley slammed home a kill and teamed with Hartley for a block on Botica.
But the Buckeyes regained control of the game, getting numerous big plays from middle blocker Suzie Stiling as the pulled away from the Spartans.
Stiling led the Buckeyes to six of the match’s last eight points en rout to downing the Spartans 30-26 in game four.
