After playing in only seven of the Spartans' first 29 games this season, sophomore middle Brooke Langston was itching for more playing time.

Unlikely performances against No. 21 San Diego and American University allowed Langston to collect her first all-tournament team honors in the American Volleyball Classic. Langston led the team in hitting for the weekend with 25 kills and a hitting percentage of .432. She also added 11 total blocks and two service aces.

"Brooke really needed to play against a top-level team to find out what she could do and to gain some confidence," head coach Chuck Erbe said.

The reason Langston needed confidence was because prior to going to Washington, D.C., she literally had done nothing. Her season totals through the first eight games were unnoticeable: Five kills, a .000 hitting percentage, no service aces and no blocks.

But after sophomore middle Megan Wallin suffered a bruised thumb the weekend earlier, Erbe decided to give Langston a chance to shine.

"I really went out and played hard," Langston said. "I didn't play scared and I wasn't nervous at all.

"I think the experience of being put in during the middle of games and having to perform while being cold has helped my mental toughness."

Just like all the other MSU players, Langston stayed in East Lansing during the summer, working endlessly on her game. The effort continued into the preseason and did not go unnoticed by her teammates and the coaching staff.

At the beginning of the season, there could only be one back-up to senior Jenny Rood and Wallin was the choice. Langston was third on the depth chart and knew she wouldn't get many chances to play.

However, Langston's impressive performance last weekend has Erbe feeling he has three starters in the middle.

"For me as a coach, it's good news, bad news," Erbe said. "I just have to choose one and all three are good."

As for the rest of the season, Erbe said the situation will likely change frequently as Langston and Wallin will.

Regardless of who gets more court time, both players have shown the coaches and their mentor, Rood, the future of MSU's middle is in good hands.

"Brooke is a very strong-willed person and when she wants something, she's going to work to get it," Rood said. "I have no doubt that she is going to become a great player."