It was a back-and-forth match, as displayed by the close scores, but the Spartans really shined at the end of the sets, displaying late-game rallies. Unfortunately for MSU, the Buckeyes built leads big enough early in the set to give themselves a cushion at the end.

“We wanted to win,” junior setter Kristen Kelsay said. “We made some great defensive plays at the end (of the sets), but it was too late, and we just needed to do that earlier to build that momentum.”

Despite the MSU loss, Wicinski had a stellar game, throwing down a season-high 29 kills in the match.

“Our setters did a really good job, and our blockers did an awesome job, at giving me openings, so it really just goes to our offense,” Wicinski said of her offensive display.

Head coach Cathy George said that although Wicinski had a solid performance, she still would have liked to see a more all-around game from the Spartans on Saturday.

“She carried our offense tonight,” George said. “But we really shouldn’t be put in that position, and in order to win as a team, we need to play as a team and have more balance.”

The Spartans look to get back on track, as they travel to Indiana to play the Hoosiers at 7 p.m. on Friday in Bloomington.