Our Gophers took down overmatched Michigan State in straight sets, 25-20, 25-14, 25-11. I always say that volleyball is a game of momentum, and tonight was a good example. MSU fought hard through most of Set 1, never trailing until the set was tied at 17. But then the Gophers ran 5 to take a 24-19 lead before exchanging side-outs for the win. In Set 2, MSU took an early lead at 3-7, and then the roof fell in, the air went out of the balloon, the Twins went to the bullpen, whatever – and the Gophers won 20 of the next 23 points. Set 3 was tied 7-7, and then the Gophs scored the next 9 points.
Much of this with Landfair serving. Taylor doesn’t get a ton of aces, but I think her serving has become pretty strong. And though targeted all night long as usual, I had her with zero receiving errors – to go with 13 kills in less than 3 sets; Julie Hanson came in late and got a kill for match point. Another strong match for Landfair.
And Wenaas bounced back from her off-night (as a hitter) vs Purdue, with 6 kills and 4 blocks, and a 5-pt service run in Set 2, playing with the intensity of an athlete that didn’t want to get benched again. Lauren Crowl, who subbed in for Wenaas so effectively against Purdue, did not get into the match.
Carter Booth was back in the line-up (still no explanation of her absence from the last two matches), and she was productive in the middle, with 8 kills & 4 blocks. Naya Gros contributed 2 & 2, and mid-Set 3, with MSU showing minimal fight, Arica Davis came in for Gros and added 2 & 1. Ellie Husemann, who early in the season looked like our #1 Middle, seems to have dropped to #4 on the depth chart. But, collectively, the Gopher Middles racked up 12 kills & 7 blocks in 3 sets – there were times last year we would have died for those numbers.
C.C.McGraw was great at usual, and I thought the whole team dug well, especially covering our hitters (i.e., digging up balls the Spartans blocked).
One reason the Spartans have lost 10 of their 11 Big Ten Matches is the physical stature of their line-up. Tonight’s starting 6 (excluding Libero & D.S.) average 6 ft & 1/3 inches – vs the Gopher starting 6 (with Booth back in the line-up) at 6 ft 3 1/3 inches. I’ve played enough volleyball to know that the taller team doesn’t always win, but the Spartans being 3 inches shorter at every position didn’t help their cause.
Our Gophers started the Big Ten season by losing 2 of their first 3 matches, but now they have won 7 of the last 8 to run their conference record to 8 & 3. With Nebraska suffering their first loss this evening at Wisconsin in straight sets, the Gophers are only 2 sets out of first place as they head into the second half of the Big Ten season, beginning with a rematch with the Badgers on Sat (5:30 on BTN). Madison is a tough place to win, as the Huskers found out this evening, but the Gophers swept the Badgers at the Pav back in Sept, and we’re playing better now. If we could beat the Badgers on their court, we would be right back in contention for the Big Ten title!