EAST LANSING, Mich. – SIUE closed out the Kathy DeBower Invitational with a hard-fought four-set match against Big Ten opponent Michigan State, falling 25-14,25-19,20-25,25-14.
 
The Cougar fell to 5-6 on the season, while the Spartans improved to 10-0.
 
After dropping the first two sets, the Cougars responded in the third. SIUE's defense forced Michigan State into errors while the offense found its rhythm, securing a 25-20 win to extend the match.
 
SIUE's balanced effort produced 42 kills on 125 attempts, along with five aces, five blocks and 35 assists. Michigan State countered with a strong performance, finishing with 55 kills, 12 aces, 13 blocks and 52 assists.
 
Kennedy Pike led the Cougar offense recording 10 kills with a .231 hitting percentage. Ally Hughes directed the attack with 18 assists and tied her career-high four service aces.
 
After a challenging nonconference schedule, the Cougars will turn their efforts to the Ohio Valley Conference. Their first match up will be against Tennessee State Sept. 26-27.