No. 13 BYU women’s volleyball swept the Michigan State Spartans (25-14, 25-21, 25-19) in the final game of the BYU Invitational at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday.

BYU (6-0, 0-0 WCC) finished the match with a hitting percentage of .229 and 39 kills compared to Michigan State’s .048 clip with 30 kills.

“I’m really proud of our energy,” said outside hitter Erin Livingston. “We get excited for every point, and when we’re excited and having that good energy, we always play well.”

Livingston led the Cougars with 10 kills on 27 swing and on a .222 clip. Kenzie Koerber contributed nine kills, hitting .231 and seven digs while Taylen Ballard-Nixon added eight kills and two service aces.

BYU came out strong, gaining a lead early in the first set. The Cougars remained in the lead throughout the set, which featured several scoring runs to keep BYU ahead. The Cougars hit .333 percentage while holding the Spartans to a .057 clip. BYU took the first set 25-14.

The Cougars started the second set with a 4-0 scoring run and an ace from Whitney Bower. Three-straight kills from Ballard-Nixon followed by an ace from Koerber earned BYU another 4-0 scoring run and brought their lead to 10-3. Michigan State kept the score close toward the end of the set, but BYU held onto their lead. The Cougars finished the set at 25-21 with a kill from Livingston.

The teams traded points in the beginning of the third set, with Michigan State earning their first lead of the match at 7-5. After a few lead changes, BYU took back the advantage with a 10-0 scoring run that featured a solo block from Kennedy Eschenberg and a two kills from Livingston. The Cougars remained in the lead through the rest of the set, finishing the game with the score of 25-19.

Koerber was named the Player of the Tournament for her strong performance. Also on the all-tournament team: Cougar teammates Bower and Heather Gneiting; Michigan State’s Talia Edmonds and Rebecka Poljan; Weber State’s Rylin Adams and Dixie State’s Mykenna Nelson.

BYU travels to the Panther Challenge in Pittsburgh, Penn., next Friday and Saturday.

BYU_PHOTO BYU’s Maddie Allen (in white) and Gretchen Reinert celebrate winning the BYU Invitational with a sweep of Michigan State at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

BYU_PHOTO BYU’s Kenzie Koerber passes the ball during a women’s college volleyball match against Michigan State at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

BYU_PHOTO BYU coach Heather Olmstead (left) instructs her team during a time out in a women’s college volleyball match against Michigan State in the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Photo)

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