The Missouri State volleyball team kept its season alive Thursday with a 25-19, 25-20, 25-23 sweep of Illinois State in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinal round at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan.
The Bears improved to 21-12 on the year, while ISU ends its season with a 16-15 record.
After dropping the first three points of the match, the Bears regrouped and scored 11 of the next 12, including a 10-0 run, to go up 12-4 on the Redbirds. The lead remained at six or above until three straight MSU errors allowed ISU to pull within 20-16. MSU closed it on a 5-3 run, taking advantage of 11 ISU attack errors and -.105 hitting by the Redbirds. The teams combined to hit -.029 in the set.
A 4-1 start for Illinois State in the second set was met with a 5-1 run by the Bears as MSU took its first lead at 6-5. A 4-0 run gave the Bears their biggest lead at 11-8, and another 4-0 run a few points later got the lead to six at 16-10. Missouri State continued to play solid defense from there, holding ISU to .087 in set two in the 25-20 win.
After 10 ties and four lead changes in the third set, little had been decided with the score sitting at 13-13. The Bears took the next two points and grew the lead to three at 18-15, but ISU stormed back with a 7-0 run to lead 22-18. Missouri State rattled off three in a row after that, with freshman
Kelley Michnowicz getting a kill and then pairing up with
Bethany Fuller for two blocks to force an ISU timeout.
The Redbirds scored out of the break but the Bears tied it at 23-all and got to match point after an ISU attack error. Michnowicz and
Calli Norman then paired up on final block to send the Bears into the semifinals.
Foley led MSU with 10 kills while Norman had nine to go with three blocks.
Terri Del Conte had 11 digs to reach dobule figures for the 22nd consecutive match, while
Cara Hackmann led the Bears with 13. Freshman Julia Cawthra handed out 31 assists in her first career start.
Missouri State hit .149 but held the Redbirds to a .015 hitting efficiency.
Up next for Missouri State is No. 9 Wichita State (29-0) at 7 p.m. Friday.
