MSU volleyball (8-4 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated Indiana (9-4 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) in their Big Ten debut on Friday night on the road, 3-1 (25-17, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21).
The Spartans talked last week about the importance of starting fast, and against Indiana a quick start was the difference.
MSU took the first set, 25-17. Sophomore middle blocker and opposite hitter Allyssah Fitterer set the tone with four kills and a .667 hitting percentage in the first set.
Fitterer finished the game with 13 kills and a .417 hitting percentage.
Indiana put up a fight in the second set but a 6-0 Spartan run sealed the Hoosiers fate. MSU won the set 25-18.
The third set was all Hoosiers until the Spartans went on a 5-0 run to bring the score to 23-21. However, Indiana was a little too much for the Spartans, taking the set 25-22. MSU had 11 errors in the third set after a total of ten in the first two sets.
After jumping out to a 5-1 lead, MSU allowed Indiana to get back in the game in the fourth set. A kill by Indiana’s Morgan Leach tied the set at 19 but the Spartans would respond with three consecutive points and hold on to win the set, 25-21.
MSU was able to contain Leach, Indiana’s star outside hitter to five kills.
Offensively, sophomore outside hitter Chloe Reinig had 13 kills for the Spartans. Freshman setter Rachel Minarick totaled 38 assists.
Defensively, senior libero Kori Moster led the team with 14 digs.
MSU travels to West Lafayette to take on Purdue (11-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) tomorrow night at 7 p.m., the Boilermakers defeated U-of-M (5-6 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) on Friday night, 3-2.
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