The MSU volleyball team tied its longest win streak of the season and then had that streak snapped the next night.
A 3-1 victory over Ohio State (10-13 overall, 4-11 Big Ten) on Friday night gave the Spartans (18-8, 10-6) their fifth win in a row. MSU opened the season with five straight wins at the Maryland Invitational and Carolina Classic.
No MSU player hit better than .240, but the Spartans still were able to get the win behind team defense and another solid blocking match.
"We didn't attack as well as we could against Ohio State," head coach Chuck Erbe said. "Our defense was solid, our block was solid and we played the big points well."
All 10 MSU players had at least one dig, and sophomore defensive specialist Marley Bellwood led the way with 12. Bellwood was the only Spartan in double digits in digs, while also chipping in with two kills.
MSU's blocking was a huge factor again as five players registered a solo block. Junior outside hitter Sara Villwock and sophomore middle Megan Wallin each had two solo blocks and the two combined for 6.5 of MSU's 13 total blocks.
On Saturday night, the Spartans were looking for revenge against No. 16 Penn State (24-4, 13-3), which had beaten them 3-2 at Jenison Field House in both teams' Big Ten opener. It wasn't meant to be, as the Nittany Lions defeated the Spartans in five games again.
The two teams traded games, with Penn State winning the first (30-28) and the third game (30-21) and MSU winning game two (30-24) and four (30-28). In the fifth game, Penn State jumped out to a 10-2 lead and coasted to a 15-8 win.
The front four of Kim Schram, Villwock, Wallin and Jenny Rood again all had double-digit kills with 19, 19, 12 and 10, respectively, but none had better than a .200 hitting percentage.
"It was a very competitive match and even up until the fifth game," Erbe said. "The difference right now between us being in first place and them being in first are our two matches against them."
Currently, the Spartans are three behind Penn State for the conference lead.
The week saw the Spartans lose a player, but they got one back as well. Sophomore middle Brooke Langston, who had been playing the right side in place of junior outside hitter Michelle Kopka, broke her finger in practice on Tuesday. She did not know she broke it until she went to get the finger X-rayed on Wednesday after she tried to practice with it.
A huge loss and a possible problem turned out OK, as Kopka returned to the lineup. After it was thought a stress fracture in her lower back could have kept her out for the rest of the season, Kopka played in both matches this weekend.
"Fortunately for us, Michelle came back this week," Erbe said. "She hasn't played for six weeks and wasn't able to jump without pain until this last week."
The Spartans now have won seven of their past nine games and conclude their home season this weekend against Iowa (6-20, 1-15) and Minnesota (19-9, 12-4).
