Friday, November 7
Seattle, Wash.
7:00 PM
University of Washington
10-13,5-8Big Ten
1
vs
3
Michigan State
17-6,7-6Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Michigan St.
15
30
33
25
3
Washington
25
28
31
20
1
Huskies Lack Finishing Touch Against Spartans
November 07, 2025 | Volleyball
SEATTLE – Washington Volleyball had a total of eleven set point chances in the second and third sets combined, but could not cash them in, and paid for it with a 1-3 loss to Michigan State at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Huskies won nearly every facet of the box score, but the final points still favored the visitors, 25-15, 28-30, 31-33, 20-25.
The Huskies (10-13, 5-8 Big Ten) outhit the Spartans (17-6, 7-6 Big Ten) with a .181 mark compared to .141. UW dominated the blocking with 17 compared to 8 for MSU, and the Huskies had eight more total digs (65-57). But Michigan State did have two more kills (55-53) and twice as many aces (8-4) as the Dawgs.
Washington dominated the first set, and then in the second set they had three set point chances, but always by just one point, and MSU saved them all before winning 30-28. Washington had erased a 8-15 deficit in the second set with an 8-0 run, but couldn't take the commanding 2-0 lead.
In the pivotal third set, the Dawgs reached set point at 24-22, but Michigan State saved both, and then UW kept earning chance after chance with sideouts, but the Spartans answered every time. MSU finally went up by one on an ace, but the Dawgs fought back and scored two straight to get more chances at 30-29 and 31-30, but they could not find the last point, and a Spartans block followed by an ace earned them a second-straight marathon victory, 33-31. MSU would slowly pull away late in set four and finish it off without the drama of sets two and three.
"I can say that Michigan State played a hell of a match, and they fought, and we didn't fight towards the end, which was frustrating with our group," said Head Coach Leslie Gabriel. "We won almost every stat category, but we didn't finish the match in the last points. Those are things we have to keep working on and be excited for is to finish the match when we're able to."
Kierstyn Barton had 17 kills to lead the offense, hitting .159. Simona Mateska had 12 kills and hit .146. Both middles tied their career-highs in blocks as Katy Wessels had nine and Elise Hani added seven. Hani also hit .333 with six kills.
Alexa Markley had nine kills and tied her career-high with 15 digs, serving two aces. Zoria Heard also had 15 digs. Freshman Maija Howse provided a nice spark off the bench with four kills on seven swings, hitting .429.
Up Next: The Huskies host 17th-ranked USC on Sunday at Alaska Airlines Arena. First serve is set for 2 p.m. and the match will stream on Big Ten Plus.
The Huskies (10-13, 5-8 Big Ten) outhit the Spartans (17-6, 7-6 Big Ten) with a .181 mark compared to .141. UW dominated the blocking with 17 compared to 8 for MSU, and the Huskies had eight more total digs (65-57). But Michigan State did have two more kills (55-53) and twice as many aces (8-4) as the Dawgs.
Washington Volleyball paid tribute to Huskies goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who died Thursday from kidney cancer.
— espnW (@espnW) November 8, 2025
(via @UWVolleyball) pic.twitter.com/xDsvbslCHr
Washington dominated the first set, and then in the second set they had three set point chances, but always by just one point, and MSU saved them all before winning 30-28. Washington had erased a 8-15 deficit in the second set with an 8-0 run, but couldn't take the commanding 2-0 lead.
In the pivotal third set, the Dawgs reached set point at 24-22, but Michigan State saved both, and then UW kept earning chance after chance with sideouts, but the Spartans answered every time. MSU finally went up by one on an ace, but the Dawgs fought back and scored two straight to get more chances at 30-29 and 31-30, but they could not find the last point, and a Spartans block followed by an ace earned them a second-straight marathon victory, 33-31. MSU would slowly pull away late in set four and finish it off without the drama of sets two and three.
"I can say that Michigan State played a hell of a match, and they fought, and we didn't fight towards the end, which was frustrating with our group," said Head Coach Leslie Gabriel. "We won almost every stat category, but we didn't finish the match in the last points. Those are things we have to keep working on and be excited for is to finish the match when we're able to."
Kierstyn Barton had 17 kills to lead the offense, hitting .159. Simona Mateska had 12 kills and hit .146. Both middles tied their career-highs in blocks as Katy Wessels had nine and Elise Hani added seven. Hani also hit .333 with six kills.
Alexa Markley had nine kills and tied her career-high with 15 digs, serving two aces. Zoria Heard also had 15 digs. Freshman Maija Howse provided a nice spark off the bench with four kills on seven swings, hitting .429.
Up Next: The Huskies host 17th-ranked USC on Sunday at Alaska Airlines Arena. First serve is set for 2 p.m. and the match will stream on Big Ten Plus.
Team Stats
MSU
UW
Kills
55
53
Errors
32
27
Attempts
163
144
Hitting %
.141
.181
Points
71.0
74.0
Assists
51
50
Aces
8
4
Blocks
8
17
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
2
Blocks
6
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Players Mentioned
OH
/ VolleyballMB
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L
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OH
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MB
/ VolleyballSimona seals it! Dawgs claim set one.
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Thank you, Tape! 🫡 Dawgs seal set three with an ace!
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