Thursday, March 28, 2024

Spartans add to winning streak with road trip

November 5, 2001

The Spartan volleyball team got the one thing it’s been searching hardest for last weekend - consistency.

The stability highlighted a pair of 3-0 wins, the first Friday evening at Iowa and again on Saturday night at Minnesota, upping the Spartans’ current winning streak to four games.

The wins put the Spartans (16-6, 8-6 Big Ten) in possession of fifth place in the Big Ten conference.

“We played more constantly and with a lot more energy and stability and we played phenomenal defense,” sophomore setter Nikki Colson said. “Consistent defense, along with serving and passing, which we did very well, will always win you games.”

The Spartans began the weekend cruising to a 3-0 victory Friday against the Iowa Hawkeyes behind a huge match by junior outside hitter Kyla Smith.

The Spartans swept the Hawkeyes (4-18, 2-12) by winning the games 30-22, 30-16 and 30-22, respectively.

Smith slammed home a career-high 20 kills and had 11 digs for her seventh double-double this season in the win. Even more remarkable, she reached 20 kills with only two attacking errors in her 29 chances for a .586 hitting percentage.

“She played phenomenal. Her hitting, her passing - she was just on,” sophomore defensive specialist Emmy Miller said. “She stepped up and led the team by example, and it made a difference.”

Assistant coach Todd Dagenais said the Spartans have been waiting for Smith’s offensive explosion.

“Kyla stepped up and had the breakout match we’ve been waiting for,” he said.

The Spartans hit .302 as a team and limited the Hawkeyes to a .096 attack percentage.

Senior outside hitter Erin Hartley added 13 kills and freshman outside hitter Kim Schram had 11 kills for the Spartans.

But, a tougher task was ahead for the Spartans on Saturday, as they matched up with the No. 24 Minnesota Golden Gophers and All-America candidate setter Lindsey Berg.

Behind 13 kills from Hartley, the Spartans took down the Golden Gophers (13-9, 7-7) in three games, 30-24, 30-23 and 30-21. It marked the Spartans’ second sweep of Minnesota this season.

Schram added 11 kills and Colson outplayed Berg, adding 42 assists and four blocks to the winning effort.

“The look in everyone’s eyes left me with no doubt that Minnesota wasn’t going to get one from us,” Colson said.

Dagenais said the Spartans’ four straight wins to open the second half of conference play show the team’s progress.

“Early in the year we had a young and inexperienced line up, and that was compounded by a tough schedule with six of our ten conference matches on the road,” he said. “Now we feel like we can really cut loose in the second half.”

“And they’re playing with a ton of confidence right now.”

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