Michigan State kept punching, kept answering, and still couldn’t quite survive Purdue’s firepower Thursday night in East Lansing.
The Spartans dropped a four-setter to No. 13 Purdue inside the Breslin Center, falling 23-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-21.
It was MSU’s fourth top-20 opponent in its last five matches, and the result left the Spartans at 17-8 overall and 7-8 in the Big Ten. Purdue moved to 17-7 and 10-5.
The Boilermakers were cleaner and heavier at the net, hitting .383 for the match while holding Michigan State to .245. Purdue finished with advantages in kills, 64-56, and digs, 56-47. MSU did win the blocking battle, 8-6, and also came out ahead in service aces, 5-2.
Michigan State got strong nights from several pieces. Senior middle blocker Zora Hardison led the Spartans with 14 kills and matched junior middle blocker Breccan Scheck for the team lead with four blocks.
Sophomore opposite Bianca Mumcular added a season-high 12 kills. Senior outside hitter Taylah Holdem turned in her first double-double of the season, finishing with a season-high 13 kills on .321 hitting and a team- and season-best 11 digs.
Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews chipped in 10 kills and two aces.
Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long ran the offense with 45 assists and added two service aces.
The opening set set the tone for how competitive Michigan State would be. Purdue jumped ahead 4-2, but the Spartans answered with a 4-0 burst that included a Purdue attack error, kills from Scheck and Mumcular, and a block from the same pair to go up 6-4. The Boilermakers then reclaimed control with a 4-0 run and stretched the margin to 15-11 at the media timeout.
MSU wasn’t done. Andrews sparked the comeback out of the timeout with a kill, Long served an ace, Andrews and Scheck teamed for a block, Holdem added a kill, and a Purdue error helped the Spartans reel off five straight to tie it 16-16.
Michigan State later pushed in front 20-19 on a Holdem kill and Mumcular ace, then regained the lead at 22-21 after a Hardison kill. Purdue tied it at 22-22, but Andrews answered with a kill, Mumcular delivered the set-point swing, and Andrews finished it with an ace for a 25-23 MSU win.
Purdue took the second set by taking control early and never really letting go. After the Boilermakers built an 8-3 lead, MSU called timeout, but Purdue followed with a 3-0 run out of the break and opened up an 11-3 cushion.
Michigan State trimmed the deficit with three straight points - an Andrews kill, a block from Hardison and Mumcular, and another block from Holdem and Hardison - to get within five at 18-13. Purdue answered with a 3-1 run, and although Mumcular stopped the first set point with a kill at 24-18, the Boilermakers closed it out 25-19.
The third set had a similar shape. Purdue started fast again, building a 7-3 edge before Michigan State tied it at 9-9.
Then the Boilermakers strung together four straight points to force an MSU timeout at 13-9. Hardison and Andrews came out of the timeout with kills to cut it to 14-11, but Purdue still led 15-11 at the media break after a Spartan service error.
Mumcular’s pair of kills kept MSU within reach at 15-12 and 16-13, yet Purdue answered with three straight points and pushed the Spartans into another timeout at 19-13. Michigan State kept fighting off set point with an Andrews ace, a Purdue service error and a Holdem kill to make it 24-20, but Purdue ended it on the next swing, 25-20.
Michigan State had one more push left in the fourth. Hardison keyed a 3-1 run with back-to-back kills, plus a Holdem kill and a Purdue attack error, to tie the set 11-11.
Mumcular later tied it again at 14-14, but Purdue nudged ahead 15-14 at the media timeout and then used an error by MSU to restore the tie at 15-15. The Boilermakers then went on a 3-0 run to make it 18-15 and force a Spartan timeout.
MSU answered with its own 3-1 burst out of the break, with Hardison scoring twice and Holdem adding another kill to pull within 19-18. Purdue responded with back-to-back points, and after Michigan State got within one again at 22-21 on kills from Scheck and Mumcular, the Boilermakers called timeout and closed the match with three straight points for the 25-21 finish.
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