EAST LANSING- Following a dazzling display that led to being crowned tournament champions in the Kathy DeBoer Invitational, the Michigan State volleyball team looked to continue their momentum on their home floor.
The celebration did not end there for the Spartans, as junior outside hitter Akasha Anderson received Tournament MVP honors, and senior defensive specialist and libero Nalani Iosia was awarded the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
However, Western Michigan was coming into East Lansing with no shortage of wind in its sails following an upset victory over No. 24 Marquette in Milwaukee.
Western Michigan traveled to the Breslin Center on Wednesday night and the Broncos handled business by sweeping MSU, winning all three sets.
Back-to-back attack errors led to MSU finding themselves in a 4-2 hole early in the first set, which quickly snowballed into an 8-4 Broncos lead behind four of freshman outside hitter Annalise Patchett’s five opening set kills.
Despite Western leading by as many as nine points, four straight MSU points and later consecutive service aces from sophomore Taylah Holdem put Michigan State down just three points to the visiting Broncos.
Despite a valiant fight from the Spartans, Western Michigan held on to take the initial set, 25-17 behind eight kills from Keona Salesman and 12 assists in the inaugural set from Logan Case.
The Broncos continued their road glory with a sizzling start to the second set that saw WMU jump out to a quick 6-0 lead, spurred by three kills from Anna Calgano, who finished with five on the set.
The Spartans managed to cut the deficit to three at the midway point due to the contributions of Aliyah Moore, but Michigan State’s eight errors in the second set saw momentum plummet at the Breslin Center.
For the second straight set, the Spartans roared back and kept Western Michigan on their toes, but it was the visitors who prevailed 25-22 as the offensive woes continued for MSU, who hit for a feeble .098 hitting percentage and a .293 kill percentage in the second set.
It was a third-set surge in East Lansing, as Michigan State took a 5-1 lead, though the Broncos ultimately knotted the game up at five, and pulled away thereafter until Holdem added three of her four third-set kills within four possessions to help pull the dormant Spartan offense back in it, WMU pulled off the road sweep, 25-17, 25-21, 25-21.
Junior outside hitter Taylor Preston led the charge for the Spartans with 11 kills and eight digs, while Iosia continued her defensive dominance with 16 digs despite the loss and Aliyah Moore was not far behind with seven kills and a .357 hitting percentage.
WMU saw four players finish with eight or more kills, with Salesman leading the charge for the Broncos with 17, while Case was responsible for 35 of Western’s 45 assists.
Michigan State’s record fell to 4-3 on the season and have ample opportunity for rest with a return to action coming Monday as the Spartans head to Ypsilanti to play another in-state foe in Eastern Michigan.
