SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri State volleyball team had no answer for league-leading UNI Friday at Hammons Student Center as the 22nd-ranked Panthers (25-2, 15-0 Missouri Valley Conference) grabbed their 23rd consecutive victory in a 25-21, 25-21, 25-16 MVC sweep of the Bears (18-9, 11-4) in front of 1,816 fans.

    The match was marked by late UNI runs in each set. In a back-and-forth first stanza, the Bears grabbed a 21-20 lead following a UNI attack error, but served the next ball into the net and allowed four straight UNI kills as the Panthers closed on a 5-0 run.

    The Bears trailed 20-19 in the second when UNI again used a run, this time 3-0, to gain control at 23-19. Addie Foley answered with two of her match-high 13 kills, but the Panthers scored the next two points for the win.

    UNI began the third set on a 6-2 run only to see the Bears tie it at 10-10. The set turned on the next point as the Bears served to UNI libero Ellie Blankenship, whose reception cleared the net back onto the Missouri State side. No Bear was able to corral it, giving UNI the point and the momentum. That miscue began a 4-0 Panther run, the Bears closed to 17-15, and UNI reeled off another four straight and eight of the final nine points for the sweep.

    UNI had five players with at least eight kills and hit .264 to Missouri State’s .190. Calli Norman hit .375 with 11 kills for MSU, but no other player managed more than four putaways aside from her and Foley. Cara Hackmann’s 14 digs moved her into a tie for third on the MSU single-season list.

    With Wichita State’s win over Bradley Friday, the Bears fell to third in the MVC standings, but can move back into a tie for second should UNI win at WSU on Saturday. Elsewhere, Creighton defeated Southern Illinois, helping the Bears in the MVC tie-breaking system as MSU’s two wins over the Bluejays give the Bears an advantage over Wichita State if the two teams finish the year tied. WSU beat the Bluejays once this season.   
   
    Missouri State hosts Bradley (9-20, 0-15) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the home finale. Seniors Addie Foley and Sara Staubachwill be recognized prior to the match.