Missouri State used a balanced offensive attack with five players reaching double figures in kills to avenge an earlier loss to the Evansville Purple Aces and earn a 25-21, 22-25, 25-21, 25-17 Missouri Valley Conference volleyball win Friday at Hammons Student Center.

    Sara Staubach led Missouri State (19-9, 10-4 MVC) with 18 kills, doing so on 39 attacks with just two errors to hit .410. Cara Hackmann added 16 kills, Addie Foley and Calli Norman had 11 each and Kelley Michnowicz finished with 10. Norman and Michnowicz hit .444 and .500, respectively.

    The teams split the first two sets despite Evansville (13-13, 7-6) leading most of the way in each. Then the MSU offense began to click, hitting .373 over the next two and getting the win. Leading by just a point in the third at 21-20, the Bears closed it out on a 4-1 run and carried that momentum over into the fourth set where they never trailed after a 3-3 tie.

    MSU hit .452 in the final set and .305 for the match compared to a .185 figure for UE. The Bears and Aces eached had 10 blocks.

    Senior setter Ashley Kell had 60 assists, Nikki Vandepopulier had a season high 21 digs and Terri Del Conte added 16 scoops to reach double figures for the 18th match in a row.

    The Bears meet Southern Illinois (15-9, 5-8) at 7 p.m. Saturday.