MSU volleyball pushes No. 1 Nebraska but falls, one day after heartbreaker against No. 19 Indiana
· Yahoo Sports
A day after a difficult five-set loss to a ranked opponent, Michigan State’s volleyball team made a statement early against No. 1 Nebraska at Breslin Center on Saturday, with the Spartans playing two of their better sets of the season before falling in four sets, 21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-12.
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No. 25 MSU’s losses to Indiana and the Huskers over the weekend drop the Spartans to 17-5 overall and 7-5 in the Big Ten. Saturday’s game was played in front of more than 8,000 fans, there to see MSU and the road show that is the top-ranked Huskers.
“(Friday) night (against Indiana) was such a heartbreaker,” MSU coach Kristen Kelsay said. “And I’m so proud of our team to do the work — to do the work emotionally, to do the work with their mindset, to do the work with their bodies — to be able to come in and have the first two sets that we had. Not thrilled that we weren’t able to maintain that. There’s a reason that Nebraska is the best defensive team in the country. Hard-pressed to kill the ball. But from our serving pressure, from our blocking ability against these guys, there’s a lot of good to take from this.”
Senior Alanna Bankston led MSU in kills with 12, while senior Zora Hardison added eight and four total blocks, with junior Breccan Scheck and freshman Madi Andrews adding five kills each. Scheck also hit .571 for the match and led MSU in total blocks with a team-best seven.
Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long posted her fourth double-double of the season with team highs in both assists (26) and digs (10).
Scheck’s performance was especially notable against Nebraska, because it came in place of Carmen Waye, who was injured in Friday’s loss to the Hoosiers, a match in which the Spartans took a two-set lead, before falling 19-25, 15-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-7.
Kelsay didn’t want to accept any moral victories, but was clearly pleased with her team’s grit Saturday.
“What I learned is our team is tough — a reverse sweep and a critical injury to one of our star players (against Indiana), and then we come out and play the way we did in those first couple sets. Man, there’s a lot to like and a lot to take from that.”
Next, MSU plays at No. 8 Wisconsin on Thursday. That match (which begins at 8 p.m. ET) can be streamed on Big Ten Network-plus.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU volleyball pushes No. 1 Nebraska but falls, one day after heartbreaker against No. 19 Indiana