The Missouri State volleyball team fought out of a 2-0 hole only to fall in the fifth game to visiting Illinois State in the regular season finale Saturday at Hammons Student Center in Springfield. Game scores in favor of the Redbirds (17-12, 11-7 MVC) were 30-12, 30-26, 26-30, 26-30 and 15-12. MSU fell to 24-7 overall and 14-4 in the Valley with the loss.
Missouri State won the first two points of the fifth game before ISU regained the lead at 6-4. MSU tied it at 6-6 and the game was tied at each point to 11-11 before Erin O’Connor gave the Bears a 12-11 lead with one of her team-high 19 kills. The Redbirds took the final four points and Lindley McDavid put away the issue with her match-high 20th kill for the 15-12 win.
The Bears came out of intermission and jumped out to a 13-9 lead in the third game before ISU went on a 7-0 run. MSU fought back to tie it at 25-all and won five of the final six points for a 30-26 victory.
Missouri State won game four by an identical score, and were boosted by an early 8-0 run behind the serving of Ashley Kell. The Bears won despite having 10 attack errors to five for the Redbirds, but had 20 kills including five from O’Connor and Jamie Adams, her tied her career-high with 18 kills for the match.
The Redbirds took control of the match early, handing Missouri State its worst game loss of the season in the first game (30-12), and limiting MSU to a .037 hitting percentage while attacking at .304 on the way winning the first two games.
Sara Thomas was the third Bear with double figure kills, totaling 11 to go with 13 digs. O’Connor added 12 digs, Katelyn Panzau had 16 digs and 50 assists, and Adeana McAfee dug 25 balls. Sarah Lansing had a part in seven of MSU’s 11 blocks.
The Bears hit .124 for the match, while the Redbirds finished with a .213 hitting efficiency and 16 blocks.
The match marked the last home contest for Missouri State’s three seniors, Lansing, McAfee and O’Connor. The trio have been a part of two NCAA Tournaments, one regular season MVC title and one MVC Tournament championship. Their teams have gone 98-32 overall, 59-13 in the Missouri Valley Conference and 54-8 at home during their careers.
The Bears open play at the State Farm MVC Tournament as the third seed Friday, Nov. 24, against No. 6 Evansville at 12:30 p.m. A victory earns a semifinal match against second-seeded Wichita State at 7:30 that night. The other side of the bracket includes No. 1 Northern Iowa, No. 4 Creighton and No. 5 Illinois State. The final from Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill., is set for 5 p.m. on Nov. 25.
