Michigan State’s first stumble of the season came Friday night, and Washington made it count.
The Spartans dropped their Big Ten opener in four sets at the Breslin Center, falling 25-22, 25-13, 16-25, 25-13 to a Huskies team that stayed unbeaten at 10-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. MSU slipped to 10-1 and 0-1 in the B1G.
Washington controlled the numbers in a big way, outhitting Michigan State .310 to .132 while also leading in kills, 49-39, service aces, 12-6, digs, 39-32, and total blocks, 13.5-6.
Even in defeat, Alanna Bankston gave MSU a steady offensive presence. The senior outside hitter finished with 14 kills, marking her seventh straight and eighth overall match this season with double-digit kills.
Freshman Madi Andrews matched her career high with seven kills, while senior middle blocker Zora Hardison added six. Hardison also tied junior middle Carmen Waye for the team lead with three total blocks.
Setter Malayah Long, a redshirt sophomore, paced the Spartans with 26 assists. Ky Clayton and Taylah Holdem each finished with two service aces, and libero Lia Schneider led the team with 12 digs.
Michigan State actually made the opening set interesting after Washington jumped ahead early. The Spartans clawed back to tie it at 9-9, then built a 15-13 lead at the media timeout behind a stretch that included kills from Bankston, Hardison, Waye and Karolina Staniszewska, plus a Clayton ace.
Washington answered with a 4-0 burst to regain control, but MSU fought back again, going up 20-18 after a Waye-Long block, a Washington attack error and a Long ace. The Huskies finished stronger, though, retaking the lead at 23-22 and closing out the set 25-22.
The second set swung quickly Washington’s way. The Huskies raced out to a 10-1 lead, and although Michigan State trimmed that margin with a mini run fueled by back-to-back Bankston kills and one from Waye, Washington answered with a 5-1 push to reach 15-6 at the media timeout. MSU picked up a few more points from Staniszewska, Mumcular and Hardison, but Washington never let the set get close and finished it off 25-13.
Michigan State’s best stretch came in the third, and it looked like a different team for long stretches. After Washington opened 4-1, the Spartans pulled even at 5-5 behind Ogden and two straight Andrews kills.
MSU later moved ahead 8-6 on kills from Hardison and Bankston and an Andrews ace, then stayed in front after a Washington service error tied the set at 12-12. The Spartans kept answering every push, and back-to-back Andrews kills plus a Holdem ace sparked a 3-0 run that gave MSU a 15-14 lead at the media timeout.
Holdem added another ace coming out of the break, Andrews stayed hot, and Hardison and Bankston helped MSU extend the margin to 19-15. From there, the Spartans slammed the door with five straight points - three Bankston kills, a Hardison kill, and a block by Hardison and Long - before a Washington service error ended it 25-16.
But Washington came out sharp again in the fourth and never really let Michigan State settle in. The Huskies erased an early 5-2 MSU lead with a 4-0 run, took a 6-5 edge, and after the Spartans briefly tied it again on a Washington service error, Washington ripped off three straight points to force an MSU timeout at 9-6.
The lead kept growing from there. Washington was up 15-8 at the media timeout and later stretched it to 20-9 after back-to-back points.
Michigan State saved two match points, but a Spartan service error ended it, 25-13.
In Other News...
Michigan State Took A Brutal Loss But One Spartans Effort Stood Out
Michigan State field hockey ran into the No. 1 team in the country on Friday at Lakeside Field and spent most of the afternoon on the back foot in a 6-0 Big Ten loss to Northwestern. The Wildcats controlled possession, piled up chances and kept the Spartans under pressure with a heavy edge in shots and penalty corners, leaving Michigan States defense and goalkeepers to absorb the brunt of the action.
Even in a lopsided result, there were a few Spartans efforts worth noting. Lola Munoz de Verger and Catherine Wolf combined for 10 saves, and the back line had to deal with wave after wave of Northwestern pressure. Michigan State never found the offensive breakthrough it needed, but the way it kept battling in the circle and in front of goal offered one of the few bright spots on a difficult day. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Just Made Its Strongest Early Season Statement Yet
Michigan States mens soccer team kept building on its fast start Friday night at DeMartin Stadium, using Alumni Night to deliver another performance that looked every bit like an early statement in the Big Ten. Richie Ludwig scored twice and Dom Dono added the other goal as the Spartans rolled past Wisconsin 3-0, with the match turning sharply after the Badgers were reduced to 10 men.
All three goals came in a seven-minute burst around halftime, the kind of stretch that can flip a conference match in a hurry and leave little doubt about which team seized control. The result pushed MSU to 3-0-0 in Big Ten play and 7-1-1 overall, the best league start in program history, and it gave the Spartans another reminder that their early-season momentum is no fluke. [Read more 🡒]
Former Spartans Keep Making Michigan State Fans Feel The Loss
A pair of former Michigan State players spent Saturday making an impression in a Big Ten matchup, and Spartans fans had reason to notice both sides of it. Indiana hosted Northwestern with quarterbacks and playmakers who used to be in East Lansing, a reminder of how much roster movement has shaped the league and how quickly a familiar name can pop up in a new uniform and make an impact.
Nick Marsh continued his recent run with another productive day as Indiana came away with the win, while Aidan Chiles gave Northwestern plenty to work with despite the loss. Marsh found the end zone and has been stacking steady yardage for weeks, and Chiles turned in one of his sharper performances of the season, but the larger takeaway for Michigan State watchers is the same old one: the departures keep showing up in ways that are hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]