The No. 15 MSU volleyball team found its winning ways again, capturing the American Classic title over this past weekend in the nation's capital.

Two wins on Saturday gave the Spartans a swing in recently lost momentum, as MSU lost two of three at a Nebraska tournament last weekend. The team won the final match there and carried its steam en route to the wins on Saturday.

The Spartans defeated No. 21 San Diego (8-3) in four games 28-30, 30-21, 30-28 and 30-28 before toppling host school American University (3-8), 30-19, 30-22, 34-36 and 30-24.

In the first match, senior middle Jenny Rood had a double-double with 20 kills and a career-high 10 blocks to lead MSU to its third victory over a ranked team this season.

MSU also got solid play from junior outside hitter Sara Villwock who had a team-high 15 digs and sophomore middle Brooke Langston who posted a career-best 12 kills.

MSU blocked 18 balls (4.5 blocks/game) in the match. Spartan head coach Chuck Erbe has stressed all season how the team needs to have three blocks a game or better.

In the American University pairing, MSU had three players with 20-plus kills: Rood, junior outside hitters Kim Schram and Diana Steplyk. Steplyk had a double-double adding 13 digs to her 20 kills.

"It's great to come out of here 2-0," Erbe said in a written statement. "These were two challenging matches for us."

In the three previous tournaments MSU had played in, senior setter and co-captain Nikki Colson had been named to both all-tournament teams. In Washington, D.C., Colson finally took home an MVP award. Colson recorded 51 of 55 assists and 10 digs in the match with San Diego, then bested the effort with 74 assists and 19 digs in the match against American.

Rood and Langston were both named to the all-tournament team. For Rood, this is her second all-tournament award. She also won the MVP at the Carolina Classic two weeks ago. It is the first time this season Langston has made an all-tournament team.

It doesn't get any easier for MSU as they open up Big Ten play this Friday against No. 11 Penn State (11-1).