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EAST LANSING, Mich. - Slow starts proved costly as No. 14 Penn State women's volleyball fell 3-1 (25-19, 25-21, 22-25, 25-19) to Michigan State in a Big Ten match Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center. The Nittany Lions dropped to 9-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference, while the Spartans upped their record to 11-1, 1-1.
Penn State held Michigan State to .191 hitting but was held to .158 themselves in the road loss. Kennedy Martin paced the Nittany Lions with 19 kills, eight digs, and six blocks. Whitney Lauenstein and Emmi Sellman contributed nine kills apiece. Ava Falduto led the team in digs with 18, reaching double-digits for the fifth-straight match.
Hayley Ogden was the top player offensively for Michigan State, hitting .400 with 13 kills and three blocks. Lia Schneider (21 digs) and Carmen Waye (six blocks) bolstered the defensive effort.
Set 1
Ogden, Madi Andrews, and Alanna Bankston had five kills apiece to lead Michigan State to a 25-19 win in the first set. The Spartans jumped out to an 11-5 lead and later went up by 10 at 19-9. Penn State climbed back to get as close as three at 21-18 and again at 22-19. The Spartans finished the set with a 3-0 run that was capped by a pair of aces from Ky Clayton.
Set 2
Lauenstein hit .417 with six kills but it wasn't enough as Penn State dropped set two, 25-21. This time the Nittany Lions led 13-11 midway through the set after a kill by Martin. Michigan State went on a 3-0 run and didn't trail the rest of the set. The Spartans broke a 14-14 tie with a 7-0 run. The Nittany Lions again fought back to get as close as two at 22-20, but the Spartans scored three of the final four points to get the set win.
Set 3
The start of set three was a disaster for Penn State as it fell behind 7-0, but the Nittany Lions managed to come back and take the set 25-22. The Nittany Lions still trailed by four at 16-12 before going on a 4-0 run to tie the score. Martin had two kills during that stretch, while Sellman added one. Michigan State was nearing a sweep as it led 22-21, but Penn State stayed alive in the match with a 4-0 run to close the set. Nichols started the run with a kill, while Martin contributed a pair of kills, including the second for set point.
Set 4
Zora Hardison hit .833 with five kills to lead Michigan State to a 25-19 win in set four. The Spartans again started fast, going up 10-6, and later upped their lead to seven at 21-14. Penn State was only able to get as close as three at 21-18 before eventually giving up match point on an attack error.
Career Highs
Ava Jurevicius - aces (1)
Danielle Whitmire - assists (24), blocks (4)
Up Next
No. 14 Penn State hosts No. 1 Nebraska on Thursday at 7 p.m., and welcomes Iowa to Rec Hall on Saturday at 7 p.m.