SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri State volleyball team snapped its three-match losing streak and held on to second place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings Friday with a 25-22, 25-21, 26-24 sweep of Creighton at Hammons Student Center.
Defenses prevailed as the Bears (16-7, 9-2 MVC) hit .118 and Creighton (9-13, 6-6) hit .063. Missouri State’s
Sara Staubach was the only player for either team to reach 10 kills, slamming 17 over three sets and taking 50 swings to move to 10th in school history in total attacks.
With Creighton leading 12-7 in the first set, a service error handed the ball to the Bears and started a 7-0 MSU run with
Melissa Gmur at the service line. Gmur aced the Bluejays before
Shayla Patrick and Staubach combined for the next five points. The two alternated kills and teamed up for two blocks before Patrick added another kill to put the Bears up 14-12. Gmur served again as the Bears went from a 21-21 score to set point, and Staubach pounded her sixth kill of the set for the win.
Missouri State took an early lead in the second at 7-3, but a service error and five consecutive aces by CU’s Nayka Benitez put the visitors ahead 9-7. Creighton built its lead to four points at 18-14, but Missouri State reeled off an 8-0 run to grab control at 22-18. MSU held the Jays to four kills and -.073 hitting in the period, but CU was able to gain five points on service aces, six on blocks and three on MSU service errors to keep the final score close.
The Bears trailed late again in the third, spotting Creighton a 21-17 lead before a 3-0 run cut it to 21-20. CU went back ahead by two before sending three consecutive attacks out of bounds to hand the Bears a 23-22 advantage. The Bluejays notched their 15th and 16th blocks to gain a set point before
Calli Norman and Staubach landed kills and the Jays sent the final attack wide to give MSU the win.
Gmur ended up with 33 assists, seven digs, two kills and four aces in a solid effort, and
Cara Hackmann scooped 25 digs to raise her season total to the fifth best in school history.
Creighton out-blocked the Bears 16-5 and had eight service aces to MSU’s six.
The Bears host Drake (18-8, 7-5) at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Bulldogs were swept at Wichita State Friday.
