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The Michigan State Spartans get their first victory of the season in their home opener against the Miami Hurricanes.
Following up one of their best seasons in recent memory where they compiled an 18-12 record which was their best since 2017, Michigan State volleyball looks to continue upon that success. The team had their season opener at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on the night of August 28, and the crowd showed up for the season opener. The Spartans were able to win with the home crowd in their favor three sets to two over the Hurricanes.
The Spartans took control early on in the match when they dominated in the first set to a 25-19 victory in the first set. Carmen Waye led the way early on for the Spartans as she was all over the court. The early showcase from Michigan State made it seem like the match was going to be a quick one until Miami took the next two sets. The Hurricanes won the next two sets 26-24 and 25-23 to force the Spartans into a hole in the match.
Asia Harvey took over for the Hurricanes with 17 kills throughout the game leading the way in the Hurricanes effort in the second and third sets. Billie Reiter was the overwhelming leader in assists and digs for the Hurricanes with 38 assists and 11 digs on the night. It took the Spartans the fourth set to rebound and bounce back from back-to-back sets that they let slip away from them. Eventually Karolina Staniszewska and Hayley Ogden took control with 23 and 14 kills respectively. Those shots were huge for the Spartans to pick themselves back up in the match.
Malayah Long was a standout all night for Michigan State with 52 assists throughout the match against Miami. Long was taking blow after blow every night and she was always in the right place. The ball would come her way and Long would be in perfect position to set up her teammates for a kill. Long’s play kept many balls from hitting the ground and kept volleys going throughout the match that otherwise would have resulted in Hurricane points. A great outing for Long in the first game of the season.
The Spartans have many things to work on as they look to build on this win and the season they had last year. They have a long season ahead, but if they can improve on some things from tonight’s tough victory, then they can take another step forward under Kristen Kelsay as the head coach.
