UCLA
Michigan St
Women's Volleyball Downs Michigan State in Adidas Opener
September 08, 2000 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 8, 2000
NOTRE DAME, IN - Despite dropping the first game of the match, the third-ranked UCLA Bruins outlasted the No. 16 Michigan State Spartans and won in four games, 13-15, 15-12, 15-11, 15-7. UCLA improves to 4-2 on the season with the victory, while MSU is now 3-1 on the year.
A marathon first game opened the match, with the two teams combining for 61 sideouts and 16 service errors. Neither team had more than a two-point lead until Michigan State pulled out to a 12-9 lead. From there, the Bruins fought back, tying the match at 12-12 before taking a 13-12 lead. After a Spartan timeout, the teams traded three sideouts before MSU posted their 13th and 14th points. The Spartans served for the game but were denied by a kill from Porter, her sixth of the game, but were able to connect on their second match point and take the opening game by a 15-13 margin.
The Bruins steamed out to a 12-5 lead in the second game, and seemed to be in control of the game. Michigan State called its second timeout of the game at 11-5, and then mounted its comeback. The Spartans tied the game at 12-12, a stretch in which the Bruins had three service errors, before recovering with two block assists by Ashley Bowles and Elisabeth Bachman and reaching game point. After two more sideouts, Lauren Fendrick stepped back to the service line and Kristee Porter ended the game with her 12th kill of the match as UCLA tied it up with a 15-12 game two win.
Another back-and-forth battle took place in the third game of the match. UCLA opened with a 7-4 lead, but the Spartans were able to fight back to tie the match at 8-8. With an 8-6 UCLA lead, Bruin sophomore outside hitter Lauren Fendrick rolled her ankle, the same one that she injured while with the U.S. Junior National Team earlier this summer. Fendrick was replaced by freshman Krystal McFarland, who played the remainder of the match in Fendrick's spot.
After the Spartans tied the match at 8-8, the Bruins began to pull away again, opening a 12-9 lead, before MSU brought it to within a point at 12-11. Banachowski called a timeout at that point, and the Bruins were able to regroup and take the game by a 15-11 margin.
In the fourth game, UCLA hit its stride, and pulled away to a 15-7 game win. In the fourth game, UCLA hit .448 with 15 kills and just two errors on 29 total attacks. For the first time this season, a player other than Kristee Porter led UCLA in kills, as Bachman finished with 22 kills and a .475 attack percentage, while Porter downed 21 kills in the match. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Ella Harley also finished in double figures with 12 kills.
"We didn't have great flow in the first game tonight," said Banachowski. "Michigan State put some pressure on us in that first game, but one game isn't the match, and we were able to settle down from there."
Bachman also posted a season-best seven blocks, all assists, as UCLA out-blocked Michigan State by a 15-8 margin. Three Bruins, Michelle Quon, Porter and setter Erika Selsor all posted double-figure digs with 15, 14 and 11, respectively.
The Bruins return to action tomorrow, Sat., Sept. 9, with a 7 p.m. first serve against host Notre Dame. UCLA will complete its Adidas Invitational schedule on Sunday at 12:30 against No. 6 Nebraska.
