Michigan State volleyball groups up to discuss a game plan at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich., on Sunday, Sept. 27th, 2026.
Michigan State volleyball dominated the court at Breslin Center Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 14 Penn State University 3-1 and earning its first win against a top 15 school in three years.
“Friday night was a tough loss for us. On offense, we had some passing issues that we hadn't experienced yet,” head coach Kristen Kelsay said. “For them to have the courage and the boldness to come out and play how hard and how resilient they did tonight was an exciting start to this Big Ten season.”
The Spartans (11-1) outperformed Penn State (9-3) on both sides of the net, hitting .191 compared to .158, while finishing ahead in kills 55-47 and digs 63-53. MSU is one of three teams in the conference with one or fewer losses.
The Spartans set the tone early, with junior middle blocker Hayley Ogden and senior outside hitter Alanna Bankston leading the offense. MSU built an early 16-9 advantage with kills from Ogden and Bankston, along with multiple assists from sophomore setter Malayah Long. The Spartans claimed the first set 25-19.
Penn State matched the Spartans' energy in the second set as both teams fought for a slim lead. The teams traded points until the Spartans began to take control. A kill from junior middle blocker Carmen Waye sealed the deal for the Spartans in the second set 25-21.
Despite the Spartans' dominant 7-0 start in the third set, the Nittany Lions answered back with 6 points in a row. Penn State trailed by a couple of points before coming back to beat MSU 25-22 in the third set.
“I think it was just having no doubt within ourselves,” Waye said. “It's the Big Ten people who are going to challenge you; there's no rolling over after losing two sets. It was just not giving up on ourselves, and we still had more to prove, so we came out in the fourth ready to beat them.”
The Spartans responded in the fourth set, proving they still had plenty of fight left, winning 25-19. Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews finished the game with 13 kills, along with Ogden.
“This book we want to write in 2026 is a long book, so one page or one chapter doesn't define us,” Kelsay said. “I’m really proud of their resiliency, to come into a tough practice yesterday and then to show up today and compete and respond the way they did.”
The Spartans now head to Los Angeles, California, to take on UCLA at 10 p.m. EST on Oct. 2. The game will stream live on Big Ten Plus.
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