The Missouri State volleyball team suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since early in the 2005 season as the Creighton Bluejays handled the Bears 3-1 (30-22, 26-30, 30-28, 30-25) in Missouri Valley Conference action Friday at Hammons Student Center in Springfield.
The Bears fell to 23-5 overall and 12-3 in the MVC, while Creighton jumped to second place with a 13-3 league record and 19-8 overall mark while snapping a 19-match losing streak to MSU. Missouri State had also won each of its previous 18 matches immediately following a loss, but dropped its second contest in a row including the Nov. 2 contest at Wichita State.
Missouri State was nearly in a 2-0 hole after dropping game one and falling behind 25-18 in game two before the Bears reeled off a 10-0 run with Sara Thomas at the service line. The Bluejays finally sided out MSU but the Bears won the next two points to forge a 1-1 tie at intermission.
Missouri State came out of the locker room and fell behind 6-2 in game three before responding with a 5-1 run to tie it at 7-7. Eight ties later the score was 21-21 and MSU won three points in a row capped by an ace from senior Katelyn Panzau ace. Creighton fought back to tie the score at 27 and 28, and won the final two points to gain the upper hand.
The Bears began game four on a 7-2 run and maintained the lead until the Jays knotted the score at 16-16. Creighton extended the lead to four at 25-21 and never let the Bears closer than two points. CU’s Lauren Bloemke provided the game-winning ace as her serve clipped the net and fell harmlessly to the floor. Missouri State hit just .052 in game four and .138 for the match, its second-lowest output of the season.
Creighton’s Kelly Goc led all players with 19 kills on .415 hitting. For the Bears, Jamie Adams had 18 kills and Sara Staubach had 17 on .306 hitting.
MSU’s Sara Thomas led all players with 20 digs, and the Bears had 87 as a team. Freshman Shayla Patrick had seven blocks, and Panzau added 16 digs and 54 assists.
The Bears host Drake (7-21, 4-12) Saturday at 6 p.m. MSU’s three seniors will be honored in the team’s final regular season home match.
