Michigan State Volleyball Upsets No. 14 Penn State in Four Sets

Breaking a Three-Season Drought Against Top-15 Opponents

Sunday’s matchup in East Lansing delivered a long-awaited milestone for the Spartans. MSU secured its first win over a top-15 opponent since a five-set victory against then-No. 13 Penn State on October 28, 2023. The victory also pushes the team’s early-season record to 11-1 and gets them into the win column in conference play following a tough loss to Washington on Friday.

Head coach Kristen Kelsay reflected on the team’s turnaround between Friday night and Sunday afternoon. “I told them on the first day, July 29th, that every match we play this fall you can win, whether you believe that or not,” Kristen Kelsay said. “Every match we play, we can win. And Friday night was a tough loss for them. For offense, there were some issues that we hadn’t experienced yet, and for them to have the courage and the boldness to come out and play how hard and how resilient they did tonight is an exciting start to this Big Ten season.”

Statistical Breakdown of the Breslin Center Victory

Michigan State out-hit Penn State .191 to .158 across the four sets. The Spartans controlled the stat sheet in several key categories, leading in kills (55-47), service aces (7-2), and digs (63-53). Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions held a narrow 14-12 advantage in total blocks.

Freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews paced the MSU attack in her first collegiate start, recording 13 kills and nearly notching a double-double with nine digs. Junior opposite Hayley Ogden matched Andrews with 13 kills on .400 hitting, adding three total blocks and two service aces. Senior middle blocker Zora Hardison contributed a season-high 10 kills, while senior outside hitter Alanna Bankston posted eight kills and a career-high 11 digs. Junior middle blocker Carmen Waye added eight kills and a team-best six total blocks, including three solo stops.

Redshirt sophomore setter Malayah Long orchestrated the offense with 40 assists, picking up her first double-double of the season by adding 11 digs and a team-high three service aces. Senior libero Lia Schneider anchored the back row with a team-best 21 digs, marking her first 20-digit dig performance of the season.

For Penn State, the loss drops the Nittany Lions to 9-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten. Carmen Waye noted that the victory stemmed from deep-seated team cohesion. “I think it just shows how much we’ve worked to bond as a team outside of volleyball,” Carmen Waye said, according to reporting from WLNS. “I mean win, lose, we’re down, we’re up, we were there for each other and we wanted to have each other’s back throughout the whole thing. It’s just great to show what Michigan State volleyball is all about today.”

Set-by-Set Match Summary

The Spartans asserted control early in the opening set, building a 10-5 lead behind a 4-0 run featuring kills from Hayley Ogden and Alanna Bankston, alongside a Malayah Long service ace. Penn State chipped away, closing the gap to 20-15, but Ky Clayton sealed the 25-19 first-set win for MSU with back-to-back service aces.

In the second set, Penn State grabbed an early 9-6 lead before a surge from Carmen Waye brought MSU back. Later in the set, a 7-0 run fueled by Long’s service line execution stretched the Spartan lead to 21-14. Zora Hardison eventually put down the final kill to secure a 25-21 victory.

The Nittany Lions responded in the third. After MSU jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, Penn State clawed back, erasing deficits and putting together a decisive 4-0 closing run to take the set 25-22.

Michigan State sealed the match in the fourth set. After trading early points, the Spartans used a string of Penn State errors and a kill from Hardison to create separation, cruising to a 25-19 final frame to capture the match.

Upcoming Schedule

With the opening weekend of Big Ten play concluded, Michigan State prepares for a travel schedule. The Spartans travel west next weekend to face UCLA on Friday at 10 p.m. ET, followed by a matchup against USC on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.