Most of the five sets were even throughout but the Spartans were not efficient enough offensively. MSU gave Illinois multiple chances to score without having adequate counterattacks.

“The biggest thing is finding a few more points in certain situations, like we're just not getting enough kills,” MSU head coach Leah Johnson said postgame. “I think we're competing hard. We're trying to problem-solve, looking for solutions all the time. And I think that's why that match was so tight because we kept adjusting and doing a good job there. We’ve just got to get a few more arms that put the ball away.”

MSU senior setter Julia Bishop was a force on offense, tallying 30 assists. She was a main reason why the Spartans hung around the way they did. 

“I think (Bishop's) leadership is elite,” Johnson said. “I think she's consistent in her fight, in her game management and I think she's locating the ball really well. So, we just continue to lean on her."

In the first set, MSU started on a 5-0 run. Illinois began to chip away at the lead, embarking on a 4-0 run of its own but the Spartans regained momentum with another 5-0 run to win the set, 25-15. 

The Fighting Illini came into the second set aggressive as MSU fell behind but eventually pushed back, tying the score at 15.

After an Illinois timeout, it regained control and went on a 3-0 run. The Spartans couldn't hit back, falling 25-19 to retie the match.

During the third set, the teams went back and forth. The Spartans began to push the pace, earning some breathing room with a 15-12 advantage. They carried that momentum for the remainder of the set, taking it 25-20. The fourth set was the longest as the Fighting Illini had more in their tank and fought past the Spartans 25-23. 

In college volleyball's fifth and final set, the team to first reach 15 points wins.

The beginning of the deciding set was close, but the Fighting Illini went on a few runs to snag the edge. Johnson called back-to-back timeouts at scores of 10-6 and 12-7, trying to reel it back, but Illinois overpowered MSU and won the final set 15-8.

“The Big Ten volleyball conference, it's the best it’s ever been, definitely, and you've got to find joy in that,” Johnson said. “You don't come here to complain about how hard it is. You come here because you want to be in the arena with the best and to become the best. So, you'll never hear me complain about the opportunity to be in the toughest, most dynamic, most challenging conference in the country.”

Next week, Michigan State volleyball will take on Nebraska at Breslin Center on Friday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m.