EAST LANSING, Mich. – 23rd-ranked Michigan State flexed its muscle Saturday night, hitting .432 to take down Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 25-20, 25-11, 25-18.
Brittany Gilpin,
Madeleine Doud and
Kristyn Nicholson all recorded six kills to lead the Islanders (2-4), but the balanced effort was not enough to keep pace with the en fuego Spartans. Autumn Bailey led the Spartans with 16 kills while hitting .552. Alyssa Garvelink added another 10 kills as the nationally-ranked Spartans pulled away.
Nicholson proved to be the Islanders' most efficient option in attack as the setter floored six of her nine attempts to hit .556. Nicholson also added 24 assists in the loss.
After trading points early, the Spartans used a quick 5-2 run to build a 14-10 advantage in the opening set. The Islanders would answer with a 3-0 run to close within 17-15, but Michigan State held off the late charge for the 25-20 first set.
In the second, a 9-2 start for Michigan State allowed the Spartans to cruise to a 25-11 victory. The third once again opened with points traded back and forth, before the Spartans were able to pull away in the middle of the set.
ALL TOURNAMENT
Setter
Kristyn Nicholson earned all-tournament honors for her performance at the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational. Nicholson recorded 13 kills while hitting .393 on the weekend. She also added 75 assists.
HEADED HOME
After spending the past 10 days on the road, Corpus Christi returns home for the first time in 2017 on Tuesday night. The Islanders host rival UTRGV in the South Texas Showdown at 6:30 p.m.
The first 200 fans will receive a free T-shirt and all fans will have an opportunity to take their picture with the South Texas Showdown Trophy as the Islanders celebrate their victory in 2016-17.
Tickets to Tuesday's match are just $6 and can be purchase online or by calling 825-BALL (2255). All Texas A&M-Corpus Christi students receive free admission to athletic events with a valid SandDollar$ ID.
