The Missouri State volleyball team closed out play in the Hampton Inn Invitational Sunday afternoon in Athens, Ohio, with a 3-1 loss to an Ohio team that was among the top 40 vote-getters in the latest AVCA Coaches poll.
Scores in favor of the Bobcats (8-2) were 25-20, 24-26, 25-12 and 25-15. Missouri State fell to 7-4 with the loss.
The MSU defense struggled in the first set, allowing the host Bobcats to hit .421 as a team with 18 kills against two errors. The Bears led as late as 15-12, but watched OU close out the set on a 13-5 run.
Missouri State led much of the second set until the Bobcats built an 18-16 lead following two MSU errors. The Bears clawed back with a 5-1 run to lead 21-19, then moved to match point at 24-21 before OU tied it with a 3-0 run. The Bobcats double-hit a set on their next possession and
Bethany Fuller followed with a kill for the MSU win.
Ohio bolted to a 5-0 lead in the third and flexed its muscle on the way to a 19-4 score before MSU regained composure on the way to the 25-12 final. Another fast OU start in the fourth set put the Bears in a 7-1 hole. Missouri State cut the lead to three at 9-6, but got no closer than four the rest of the way after a 12-8 deficit.
Calli Norman and
Addie Foley shared team-high honors with nine kills each, and Norman hit .350 with a pair of blocks. Fuller and Michnowicz blocked four OU attacks apiece, and
Cara Hackmann lifted 17 digs as the only Bear in double figures.
The Bears begin Missouri Valley Conference play Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. against Illinois State at Hammons Student Center.
