MVC Player of the Week Erin O’Connor recorded a team-high 18 kills and season-high 13 digs to lead the Missouri State volleyball team to its fifth straight victory Friday morning, a 3-0 decision over 2005 NCAA tournament participant Utah State at the Utah Classic in Salt Lake City. Scores in favor of the Bears were 30-19, 33-31 and 30-22.

The Bears (6-1) took over game one from the beginning. After the Aggies got the first point of the match, Missouri State went on a 7-0 run that included five consecutive USU (4-3) attack errors sandwiched between kills by O’Connor and Sarah Lansing. The Aggies would get the game as close as 7-4 but go on to drop the first period, 30-19. The Bears hit .184 for the period while Utah State broke even with nine kills and nine errors. Katelyn Panzau added 16 assists.

Game two turned into the longest game so far for Missouri State this season, with the Bears taking a 33-31 victory. O’Connor and Shanda Harper stole the show offensively, combining for 13 kills on 24 swings. Utah State led by as many as five points in the stanza, 15-10, but the Bears would come back to tie it at 25 before the teams traded points to 31-31. Missouri State took the final two points on a kill by Jamie Adams and a USU attack error.

Game three unfolded much like game one. The Aggies took an early 8-5 lead, but it was another big run by the Bears, this time 8-0, that gave Missouri State the 13-8 advantage. The Bears would never look back, hitting a match-high .212 in the final period for the 30-22 victory.

Panzau was responsible for 45 of the team’s 51 assists, and Adeana McAfee chipped in 15 digs. Kari Mattingly provided half of MSU’s four service aces. Missouri State blocked nine balls as a team.

The Bears hit .193 for the contest, while the Aggies became Missouri State’s sixth opponent in seven matches this season to hit below .105, finishing with a .090 attack percentage.

Missouri State continues play at the Utah Classic today at 6 p.m. against Temple.