Spartan head coach Chuck Erbe wants to see volleyball become a more popular and television-friendly sport.So he scheduled an exhibition game for Oct.
Champaign, Ill. - Unforced errors cost the Spartan volleyball team a perfect weekend, as it settled for a split after Illinois swept MSU 3-0 in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday.The Illini handled the Spartans for all three games of the match winning 30-27, 30-26 and 30-22.The Spartans (11-4, 4-4 Big Ten) suffered more serve and pass breakdowns against the Illini, recording 12 service errors and 13 return errors.
Champaign, Ill. - Serving and passing errors resurfaced Saturday night, and Illinois capitalized en route to a 3-0 win against the Spartan volleyball team.A consistent serving and passing attack from the Illini starkly contrasted the Spartans’ woes in those areas.The Spartans had 12 service errors and 13 serve receive errors compared to the Fighting Illini’s four serving errors and four receiving errors.Game one belonged to the Illini - the Spartans only led twice.
Bloomington, Ind. - Behind dominating performances in the first and fourth games Friday, the Spartan volleyball team downed the Indiana Hoosiers 3-1.The Spartans (11-3, 4-3 Big Ten) got a season-high 22 kills from senior outside hitter Erin Hartley, who also finished with a .405 hinting percentage.Outside hitter Christina Archibald led the Hoosiers (4-11, 1-6) with 16 kills, and middle blocker Melissa Brewer added 14 kills in the losing cause.
Just like Willie Nelson, the Spartan volleyball team will be “on the road again” this weekend as it tangles with the Indiana Hoosiers at 7 p.m.
West Lafayette, Ind. - One injured leader couldn’t stop MSU on Saturday. After losing the first game to Purdue and watching as senior outside hitter Erin Hartley rolled her ankle and took a seat, things looked grim for the Spartans (10-3, 3-3 Big Ten). But the team regrouped and won the next three games against Purdue, taking the match 3-1 and claiming its first Big Ten road win. “It’s a relief to get our first road win, because we don’t have it hanging over heads anymore,” Hartley said.
When senior outside hitter Erin Hartley landed on the foot of junior middle blocker Angela Morley and went down with a sprained ankle in the second game Saturday at Purdue, it was reason to be worried. “She’s the primary player on our team and it takes a lot away from us,” Spartan head coach Chuck Erbe said. But when Hartley returned midway into the same game, it was reason to be inspired. “We got a big lift when Erin came back into the game, and she played great,” junior outside hitter Kyla Smith said.
Three times this season, the Spartan volleyball team has traveled to play a Big Ten opponent. All three journeys resulted in losses.The Spartans (9-3, 2-3 Big Ten) will try to snap their road-losing streak at 7 p.m.
Ann Arbor - After two hours and four games of volleyball Wednesday at the Cliff Keen Arena, the Michigan Wolverines and the MSU Spartans were right where they started - tied.
The job of a middle blocker is simple - don’t stay in one spot for too long and attack from all angles at the net.
When Michigan’s and MSU’s volleyball teams square off at 7 p.m. tonight at Michigan’s Cliff Keen Arena, it will be for more than in-state bragging rights.
Two weekend losses against Iowa and Minnesota would have left the MSU volleyball team with zero wins in four tries against Big Ten opponents.But MSU didn’t fall in that hole.
Despite a shaky finish Saturday evening at Jenison Field House, the Spartan volleyball team hung on to defeat the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1.The Spartans (9-2, 2-2) extended its home winning streak to nine games with the victory.Game one began with a shower of Spartan points as sophomore setter Nikki Colson (match-high 49 assists) served for seven straight points.The Spartans’ lead would stretch to nine with sophomore middle blocker Jenny Rood’s (11 kills, five blocks) swooping kill.The Hawkeyes, (2-8, 0-4) would get no closer than eight points the rest of the game, which was sealed with a solo block from junior outside hitter Kyla Smith (match-highs with 15 kills and four solo blocks) making the final 30-18.Game two was more of the same from the home team, as sophomore defensive specialist Stephanie Knopp served eight straight points to give the Spartans an 9-0 lead.
Despite a shaky finish Saturday evening at Jenison Field House, the Spartan volleyball team hung on to defeat the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1.The Spartans (9-2, 2-2) extended its home winning streak to nine games with the victory.Game one began with a shower of Spartan points as sophomore setter Nikki Colson (match-high 49 assists) served for seven straight points.The Spartans’ lead would stretch to nine with sophomore middle blocker Jenny Rood’s (11 kills, five blocks) swooping kill.The Hawkeyes, (2-8, 0-4) would get no closer than eight points the rest of the game, which was sealed with a solo block from junior outside hitter Kyla Smith (match-highs with 15 kills and four solo blocks) making the final 30-18.Game two was more of the same from the home team, as sophomore defensive specialist Stephanie Knopp served eight straight points to give the Spartans an 9-0 lead.
The Spartan volleyball team took the first step Friday towards rectifying two losses last weekend at Jenison Field House as they rolled over the No.
The MSU volleyball team is out to prove it’s not knocked out after losing two straight in last weekend’s Big Ten opening matches.The bell rings to start the second round at 7 p.m.
Senior defensive specialist Lisa Ashton had big plans for this season. Her relentless hustle on defense, her work ethic and her leadership were going to be inspirational for her teammates.What the Spartan volleyball co-captain didn’t plan on giving her teammates was a lesson in vulnerability and optimism.“Maybe taking a look at me on the sidelines will remind them they aren’t guaranteed four years of play,” Ashton said.
The MSU Spartan volleyball team saw two extreme ends of the spectrum last weekend. At No.
The Spartan volleyball team left East Lansing on Thursday with hopes of returning with a 9-0 record and wins over Wisconsin on Friday and Northwestern on Saturday. Twenty-eight service errors later, the Spartans (7-2, 0-2 Big Ten) found themselves on the first losing streak of the season, falling 3-1 to No.
Evanston, Ill. - Twenty-four hours after the MSU volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season, it had a shot at redemption. But the Spartans (7-2, 0-2 Big Ten) failed to close the weekend with a win as the Northwestern Wildcats swept them 3-0 at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday. MSU couldn’t overcome a balanced Northwestern outing, Spartan head coach Chuck Erbe said, and lost 24-30, 30-32, 20-30.