The No. 14 MSU volleyball team had a sub-par weekend but earned a split of their two matches with a win Saturday night at Jenison Field House.
Neither No. 12 Penn State nor Ohio State came into East Lansing this weekend and played well, but it was MSU's poor play which was the story.
MSU (9-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) and Penn State (13-1, 2-0) played a back-and-forth match after splitting the first two games.
At 28-25, and with the momentum from games one and two, MSU was in the position to win game three
The Spartans surrendered the last five points, losing the game and the match, 30-20, 28-30, 30-28, 26-30 and 16-14.
The Spartans rebounded with a 30-25, 30-24, 31-33 and 30-22 win against Ohio State (6-4, 0-2) on Saturday.
"We all got by with sloppy play tonight," junior hitter Sara Villwock said.
The Buckeyes didn't look like the team who was ranked No. 18 in the preseason top 25 poll. Had Ohio State played like a No. 18 team, MSU would be sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, at 0-2.
"It's nice to win, but I'm not pleased with how we played at all," head coach Chuck Erbe said. "This team is really struggling with learning how to be a good team."
This is shocking to senior setter Nikki Colson, who thought the Spartans shaky days were behind them.
"A lot of people have a lot of things to sort out," Colson said. "There's a lot of nerves, stress and unnecessary miscommunication right now."
After a great preseason and a successful 8-2 record in the non-conference, Erbe saw MSU taking steps in the right direction and a team on the cusp of the top 10.
All of those ideas came to a halt this weekend when the team clearly took steps backward. MSU hit .206 against Penn State and .230 against Ohio State, a far cry from the big hitting percentages the Spartans had early in the season.
MSU only had two players, Colson and senior middle Jenny Rood, who played at the type of level it takes to win in the Big Ten week in and week out.
"I thought we had made tremendous progress in the preseason and the non conference," Erbe said. "I've known all along the final piece of the puzzle for this team is between their ears. We've obviously still got a ways to go with getting consistent performances from some people."
For MSU to achieve their goal of winning the Big Ten championship this season, they will have to be calmer mentally and play more consistently as well.
"For me, it's do or die to get this team to jump on that bandwagon to be a more consistent team," Colson said.
Fortunately for the Spartans, Colson and fellow senior Rood have been consistent. Rood especially, who carried the team through the weekend. Rood hit .394 and .410 with a combined 34 kills and 10 blocks in the two games.
"We're very fortunate right now that we've got Jenny Rood playing at the level she's playing at," Erbe said.
After all was said and done, the Spartans' win salvaged the weekend with their first Big Ten win of the season. To get any more wins this season, MSU will have to make itself what Erbe dubbed a "worthy opponent" every night the team steps on the court.
