After finishing the nonconference season, the No. 16 MSU volleyball team was hitting on all cylinders and was looking forward to starting the Big Ten season at home. Then something went wrong.
MSU came out and played decently against then-No. 12 Penn State but lost a nail-biter in five games. Against Ohio State the next night, it was clear things were going in the wrong direction. MSU lucked out and caught the Buckeyes on a bad night. MSU played worse than the four-game victory would indicate, but the win overshadowed what was really happening.
"You're not going to go through a season without struggles and challenges," senior libero Emmy Miller said.
MSU's next challenge was Michigan. The Spartans came out flat and the mentality of the previous two games had finally caught up with them. The Wolverines trounced MSU in three games.
The loss left MSU wondering not only where its 8-2 nonconference record had gone but, more importantly, where the team was heading. The Spartans realized the answer would be nothing if they didn't resolve some issues.
Since the U-M game, MSU seems to have rediscovered its chemistry.
"I feel like we've addressed some of those issues and hopefully the rest of the season will go smoother and struggle-free," Miller said. "We've addressed whatever issues it was we were having and moved forward.
"That sets a good tone for the rest of the season, because there are going to be more challenges."
After resolving the issues and a few changes in the starting lineup, MSU surprised then-No. 20 Wisconsin with its play. In game one of a four-game win for the Spartans on Oct. 3, MSU had the emotion, the drive and the all-important team chemistry.
"That was vital for this team to have won that match and come out of it feeling confident and feeling like we did take a step forward," Miller said. "And we were able to rebound from a challenge."
In the past three years, MSU always has seemed to hit a wall at the beginning of the Big Ten season. The Spartans have been an average team, posting records of 6-4, 4-6 and 5-5, respectively.
This season already seems to be a different story, but the true test will come over the next six games. MSU plays on the road against Purdue and Indiana this weekend before coming home to face Illinois and Northwestern. Then the Spartans travel to Iowa and Minnesota to complete the first half of the Big Ten schedule.
"If we bring our best team to the floor, we're going to win," senior middle Jenny Rood said. "The only thing that dictates whether we win or lose is us."
