Jamie Adams, Addie Foley and Cara Hackmann all had career-high kill numbers and the Bears and Northern Iowa alternated wins through four games before Missouri State finally prevailed in a dramatic 3-2 Missouri Valley Conference volleyball victory Friday night at Hammons Student Center in Springfield.
MSU improved to 10-2 on the season and 1-0 in MVC play after winning by game scores of 30-21, 25-30, 32-30, 19-30 and 18-16. Preseason league favorite UNI fell to 5-6 and 0-1 in the conference.
The match was a seesaw battle all night and the deciding fifth game was no different, seeing 11 lead changes and a total of four match points denied before the Bears won. MSU led 14-12 and served for the match on three occasions before the Panthers grabbed a 16-15 lead. UNI’s Amy Sampson fired a crosscourt attack inches wide to give Missouri State a second chance, and, after UNI setter Kristin Belzung committed an attack error to make the score 17-16 MSU, Adams put away her career-high 20th kill for the match.
The Bears and Panthers eached jumped out to 6-0 leads in the first and second games on the way to their respective victories, and UNI gained another 6-0 advantage in game three, coming out an inspired team after the intermission. Missouri State creeped back into the game but still trailed 28-25 and then fought off a pair of UNI game points to draw even at 29-29 and again at 30-30. Foley stepped up big to finish game three for the Bears, recording kills for points 30 and 31 before Adams, Sara Thomas and Katelyn Panzau stuffed Danielle Brazda’s attack for the 32-30 game victory.
Foley finished the match with 16 kills and Hackmann had 12 as the third Bear to set a career-best in that category. Hackmann also added 22 digs, while Terri Del Conte had 23, Thomas 18 and Ashley Kell a career-high 12.
Missouri State served 10 aces in the match and finished with 12.5 blocks. The Panthers blocked 20 MSU attacks and held the Bears to .132 hitting in the losing effort.
The Bears face Bradley (1-10, 0-1) Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Hammons Student Center.
