Michigan State volleyball one win away from Final Four, beats Illinois, 3-1

Gordon Brunskill
Special to Lansing State Journal
Michigan State volleyball players celebrate after defeating Illinois, 3-1, in the third round of the NCAA tournament

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The drama was dragged out to the end for the Michigan State women’s volleyball team, but when Autumn Bailey’s serve handcuffed the Illinois defense, the Spartans could finally breathe again.

For the first time since 1996, they are in the NCAA’s regional final.

Michigan State edged the Fighting Illini, 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-17, 29-27) on Friday evening in Penn State’s Rec Hall. The Spartans will face the top-seeded and regional host Nittany Lions at 8 p.m. Saturday with a national semifinal berth on the line.

Michigan State (24-8) will be seeking its second final four trip, while Penn State — which has seven NCAA titles — has already been to the national semifinals a dozen times.

“We fought hard and that’s really important,” said Cathy George, in her 13th season coaching the Spartans. “We’re going to need that (Saturday), obviously.”

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Michigan State got 16 kills from Brooke Kranda, 14 from Holly Toliver and 13 from Bailey, four blocks each from Megan Tompkins and Alyssa Garvelink, 14 digs from Jayme Cox and 54 assists and 11 digs for Rachel Minarick.

Jacqueline Quade’s 16 kills and Megan Cooney’s 15 kills paced the Illini (23-11), who had played in nine five-set matches this season, including their last three contests. Six blocks each came from Ali Bastianelli and Tyanna Omazic.

Just over a year ago, the Spartans were sore from a five-set, second-round loss at home to Arizona. Right after that match ended, the team loaded with seniors was determined to have a different experience at the end of this season.

“They set their minds to being this special team and really going for this,” George said. “Pushing forward and trying to go as far as they possibly could.”

Every Spartan in Friday’s match, except for Cox, a freshman libero, is in either her fourth or fifth year with the program.

Michigan State's Autumn Bailey serves the final point, earning an ace, to lock up the Spartans' 3-1 win over Illinois in the third round of the NCAA tournament Friday night at Penn State.

“I’m getting emotional,” said Bailey, one of those fifth-year seniors who was choking back tears. “It means a lot.”

Bailey played a major role in the dramatic final points.

The Illini had already turned back a pair of match points when Bailey took a big swing at the ball down the line. The officials ruled the ball out, but the Spartans asked for a video challenge, thinking an Illinois player had touched the ball. A video review dashed the Michigan State hopes.

“We just had to stay patient, stay the course there,” George said. “How you respond to that when things don’t go your way, that’s important. That makes a big difference in how you play and move on.”

The next point again saw the ball set to Bailey, who took another huge cut at the ball, which rattled off a pair of Illini blockers and dropped to the floor on the Illinois side of the net. Bailey then yelled at the Illini players through the net, drawing an officials’ warning.

“I was definitely fired up,” Bailey said. “I was in the moment and I just had to refocus for the next point, so I just took a deep breath and let it go.”

MSU's Holly Tolliver goes for the kill attempt in the third-round NCAA tournament match against Illinois.

Bailey channeled the emotions into her serve, cracking her fifth ace of the match to wrap up the win and set off a huge celebration.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Bailey said of her feelings preparing for the final serve. “I just wanted to go for it – and something good came of it.”

Bailey said she wasn’t necessarily trying for an ace, but to deliver a tough serve to keep the Illini from running what they wanted on offense.

That was something accomplished most of the night by the Spartans, who led the Big Ten and rank seventh nationally in aces. They finished with nine as a team.

“It’s the toughest (serve) we’ve faced all year, for sure,” said Illinois libero Brandi Donnelly, who had 22 digs.