Michigan State defeated University of Miami volleyball 3-2 on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich., after the Spartans rallied to force a fifth set. Miami won the second and third sets after Michigan State took the opener, but the Spartans secured the match with wins in the final two sets. The result left Miami 0-1 in the 2026 season.
Asia Harvey led Miami with 17 kills in her Hurricanes debut, along with a .263 hitting percentage and a .447 kill percentage. Sonja Danilovic recorded 11 kills while hitting .400, and Billie Reiter added 38 assists. Reiter also led Miami with 11 blocks, followed by Danilovic with nine and Olivia Durst and Ruth Martinez with eight apiece.
Miami wins second and third sets
Michigan State won the first set 25-19 after taking a 15-8 lead. Miami later cut the deficit to six points, and Ruth Martinez recorded her first collegiate ace. Logan Wiley led Miami with three kills in the set, while Denitsa Angelova recorded two blocks.
Miami answered with a 26-24 victory in the second set. The Hurricanes trailed 24-21 before scoring five consecutive points to close out the frame, with Sonja Danilovic recording two service aces and Asia Harvey adding two kills during the run. Harvey led Miami with five kills in the set.
The Hurricanes then won the third set 25-23 to take the match lead. Harvey recorded six kills in the set, while Martinez added five. Miami used a 4-0 scoring run to finish the frame.
Michigan State forces a fifth set
Michigan State tied the match by winning the fourth set 25-19. The Spartans took the lead after four consecutive points made it a 6-6 set, then held the advantage for the remainder of the frame. Miami pulled within one point twice and cut the deficit to 21-19 before Michigan State forced a deciding set.
Michigan State opened the fifth set with a 3-0 run and later used a 9-0 stretch to build a 12-1 lead. The Spartans won the set 15-6 and completed the 3-2 victory. Angelova recorded five blocks, including one solo block, in her collegiate debut.
Miami will face the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, Aug. 29. First serve is set for 2 p.m.
Source: Original report