Huskers Serve Past Michigan State, 3-1

LINCOLN - Behind a strong block and solid day at the service line, the No. 4 Nebraska volleyball team defeated Michigan State 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 28-26, 25-15) on Wednesday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. 

The Huskers, playing at home for just the second time in the last 25 days, improved to 13-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten. The Spartans dropped to 10-6 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play.

The Huskers had a season-high eight service aces with seven different players recording at least one. Nebraska also reached double-digit blocks for the fourth straight match with 13. NU outhit Michigan State .193 to .132 and outdug the Spartans 75-63.  

Kadie Rolfzen set a season high with 18 kills and notched her sixth double-double this season with 10 digs. Kelsey Fien had 13 kills and a career-high five blocks. Amber Rolfzen had seven kills and a team-high eight blocks. Alicia Ostrander had five kills and four digs. 

Justine Wong-Orantes, who earlier on Wednesday was named the espnW National Player of the Week, led the Huskers with 28 digs. Kelly Hunter had 44 assists and eight digs. 

Michigan State got off to a quick start in set one with a 6-1 lead. The Huskers regrouped and used their block to get back into the set. The Huskers had all four of their blocks in the set to draw even, 11-11. The Spartans used a 3-0 run out of a timeout to reclaim the lead, 14-11. The Huskers cut the deficit to one on five different occasions after that, including 24-23 after trailing 24-20. But Michigan State closed out the set on a Husker hitting error. 

The Huskers led 8-5 in the second set after a Fien kill and block with Cecilia Hall, as well as an Amber Rolfzen kill. An Ostrander kill, followed by a block by the Rolfzen twins and a Kadie Rolfzen ace put the Huskers up 16-11. The Huskers made it a 9-1 run to take control, 22-12, with back-to-back kill by Amber Rolfzen and Fien, followed by a block by the duo. 

In game three, Sydney Townsend served two of the Huskers' season-high eight aces to help NU claim a 10-7 lead after a 4-0 run. Michigan State stayed within striking distance but couldn't level the score at any point, as the Huskers blasted their way to a 22-17 lead on a stuff by Hall and Hunter and a big swing by Fien. But the Spartans put together a 6-1 run, including a point after challenging a call and getting it reversed, to tie the set, 23-23. The teams went back and forth until Amber Rolfzen and Fien snapped back-to-back kills for the 28-26 win.

Tied 5-5 in set four, the Huskers asserted themselves with a 4-0 run to go up 9-5. Ostrander had an ace and a kill, while Fien added a kill and block with Amber Rolfzen. After MSU cut it to 11-9, the Huskers put their foot on the pedal and never let up. Hall and Kadie Rolfzen posted kills and a combined block, and Rolfzen later added two more kills for an 18-12 lead, and Amber Rolfzen struck for two to make it 21-13. 

The Huskers host No. 24 Michigan on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Devaney Center. The match will air on NET.