Michigan State closed its four-match road swing the same way it started to build momentum in the Big Ten: with a clean sweep and a steady edge in just about every category that mattered.
The Spartans knocked off Maryland in straight sets Sunday afternoon at Stephen M. Schanwald Pavilion, rolling to a 25-13, 25-23, 25-23 victory.
With the win, MSU improved to 17-3 overall and 7-3 in conference play. Maryland fell to 12-9 and 2-8 in the Big Ten.
Michigan State controlled the stat sheet from start to finish. The Spartans hit .276 and limited Maryland to .147, while finishing ahead in kills, 45-33, service aces, 6-3, blocks, 11-6, and digs, 39-29.
Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews paced the attack with 12 kills on .250 hitting and added nine digs, just shy of a double-double. Junior middle blocker Carmen Waye was efficient too, putting down eight kills on .429 hitting.
Senior outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska and junior opposite Hayley Ogden each added seven kills, with Ogden matching a career high with seven blocks. Senior middle blocker Zora Hardison led the team with eight total blocks.
Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long handled the offense with 37 assists and chipped in five digs. Senior libero Lia Schneider led the Spartans with 10 digs, while Staniszewska, Waye and senior libero Ky Clayton each recorded two service aces.
MSU set the tone early in the opener, turning a tight start into separation with a 5-0 burst that included kills from Waye and Ogden along with blocks from Hardison and Ogden to make it 8-4. Maryland used timeouts trying to slow things down, but the Spartans kept the pressure on and stretched the run to 8-0 after an Andrews kill and two more Ogden swings.
By the time the media timeout arrived, Michigan State had pushed it to a 12-0 run behind kills from Hardison and a pair of Maryland attack errors. The Terrapins trimmed the margin to eight, but Staniszewska answered with kills on the way to a 25-13 first-set finish.
The second set brought a tougher fight. Maryland grabbed a one-point lead early with a 4-0 run, and the back-and-forth continued until Michigan State nudged ahead 13-12 on a Hardison kill and a Clayton ace.
Maryland surged again to lead 17-13, but the Spartans responded with a quick strike of their own: two Ogden kills, plus scores from Waye and Staniszewska, and a Maryland error flipped the lead back to MSU at 18-17. A Waye solo block helped the Spartans build a 20-17 cushion, and Andrews made it 23-19 before Maryland clawed back to 23-23.
Long’s kill set up set point, and Andrews finished it off for a 25-23 win.
The third set followed the same script - tight early, then both teams trading punches down the stretch. Maryland built a 15-12 lead before Waye took over from the service line and at the net, firing off a kill and back-to-back aces to bring MSU even at 15-15.
The Spartans then moved in front 17-16 on blocks from Ogden and Hardison, plus another from Long and Hardison. Andrews kept bailing out MSU with ties at 19-19 and 20-20, and Waye delivered again with a kill and a block alongside Staniszewska to move the Spartans ahead 22-21.
Waye added another kill to make it 23-21, Staniszewska gave MSU its first match point at 24-23, and after Maryland saved that one, Staniszewska ended it with her second straight kill to seal the sweep at 25-23.
In Other News...
Michigan State Fans Had Another Reason To Be Frustrated After UCLA
UCLAs 28-10 win over Michigan State at the Rose Bowl did more than push the Bruins to 7-0 and keep their College Football Playoff hopes intact. For the Spartans, it was another frustrating afternoon in a game that started with early miscues and never really gave them much traction, even as Bob Chesney pointed to the two costly fumbles that handed Michigan State favorable field position and return yards.
By halftime, UCLA had steadied itself and played a cleaner second half to close out the victory, leaving Michigan State to regroup after a loss that never felt far away but also never felt truly winnable. And while the action on the field was enough to drive plenty of reaction, the game also drew a separate wave of attention online as photos of UCLA cheerleader Kelsey Lowder spread across social media, adding an unexpected layer to an already talked-about night in Pasadena. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Already Has One Worry As Its Backcourt Takes Shape
Michigan States backcourt is starting to look like the clear strength of Tom Izzos newest group, with Jeremy Fears Jr., Jasiah Jervis and Jordan Scott all starting together in recent exhibition action. Scott, in particular, offered a glimpse of how much he can help on both ends, scoring 18 points while also making his presence felt defensively with blocks and steals, which is the kind of two-way lift the Spartans can build around as the season approaches.
The concern, though, is in front of that perimeter trio, where the frontcourt left more questions than answers. Center Anton Bonke had limited impact, while power forwards Cam Ward and Coen Carr were uneven, leaving Michigan State with some real work to do in the paint before the games start counting. The guard play looks ready to carry a significant load, but the Spartans still need the interior rotation to settle in if they want the rest of the roster to match that progress. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State's UCLA Loss Exposed A Depth Problem Fast
Michigan States loss to UCLA did more than add another result to the ledger. It put the Spartans depth issues in plain view, with injuries forcing the offense to lean on players much earlier than planned and at more spots than just one. The quarterback situation was the most obvious example, as freshman Kayd Coffman made the start and fellow freshman Leo Hannan was needed in the third quarter, a reminder of how quickly the rotation had to be reshuffled.
The ripple effect went beyond the quarterback room. The backfield was also thinned out by injuries, leaving Brandon Tullis and others with limited work, while wide receiver Samson Gash ended up logging a season-high in offensive snaps and catching the first two passes of his college career. For Michigan State, the concern now is not just getting through one game, but figuring out how much more strain this lineup can absorb if the injuries keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]