Spartans Sweep Huskies in Storrs

STORRS, Conn. – Behind a career night from junior Grace Kelly, Michigan State swept UConn, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-23), on Friday to kick off the 2023 Dog Pound Challenge from the UConn Volleyball Center.
 
Michigan State improves to 6-3 overall having won six of its last seven matches and five by way of a sweep.
 
Kelly registered a career-high 14 kills, hitting .571, to lead all players in kills. Freshman Taylah Holdem contributed 12 kills to extend her double-digit kill streak to six matches. Fellow freshman Cameron Berger posted a season-high 35 assists, while senior Nalani Iosia had 10 digs. Sophomore Evie Doezema led with a match-high three blocks, while also hitting .581 with eight kills.
 
The Spartans out-hit UConn .325 to .211 overall and out-blocked the Huskies 5-to-4.
 
Michigan State led by as many as seven points in the first set thanks to an early 5-0 run highlighted by two of Kelly’s four first set kills. UConn chipped away at the MSU advantage, cutting the Spartan lead to as few as three late, 21-18, before Michigan State closed out the set. Holdem led the Spartans with five first set kills.
 
UConn led early in set two and this time it was the Spartans fighting from behind looking to take over. The Huskies led 12-10, but a 4-0 run by the Spartans sparked by Kelly put MSU up 14-12. Kelly had a solo block and a kill in back-to-back points to give Michigan State its first lead of the set. UConn would only be able to tie the match from then on out as the Spartans maintained a narrow advantage until late in the set when a 6-1 run put things out of reach for the Huskies. Holdem had four kills during the late run before putting down the set winner.
 
The Huskies led the Spartans 11-9 in set three before a massive 9-1 MSU run put Michigan State in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the set. Kelly and Doezema each had a pair of kills for MSU throughout the run. With the Spartans up 23-20, UConn went on a 3-0 run to tie the set up at 23-23 late. A Husky service error put MSU on match point before Doezema found the match-winning kill.
 
UP NEXT
Michigan State continues their tenure at the 2023 Dog Pound Challenge with a 4:30 p.m. match against Brown on Saturday, Sept. 16. Brown will face Binghamton earlier on Saturday prior to meeting the Spartans from the UConn Volleyball…