The Missouri State volleyball team used big nights from seniors Sara Staubach and Addie Foley and a perfect offensive effort in the fourth set to fend off visiting Indiana State by a 3-1 final Saturday at Hammons Student Center.

    The Bears improved to 9-4 overall and 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference with the 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 25-8 win. The Sycamores fell to 4-9 and 0-2 in the league.

    Staubach led all players with 17 kills while committing one attack error in 46 attempts, and Foley added 16 kills eight digs and three blocks while hitting .314.

    Missouri State hit above .500 as a team in the first and fourth sets for easy wins, but sputtered in between, hitting .208 in the second and .129 in the third. Staubach was perfect in four swings in the first and Kelley Michnowicz had five kills on seven attempts as the Bears hit .517 as a unit.

    The second set was a defensive struggle during which Cara Hackmann scooped 10 of her 27 digs in the match, and ISU scored the first five points in the third and easily won to avoid the sweep.

    But it was the Bears responding in the fourth, racking up 16 kills in 27 attempts without an error to hit .593. Staubach and Foley led the charge with five kills apiece.
   
    Missouri State completed the contest with a .333 attack efficiency to ISU’s .142, and out-blocked the Sycamores 11-2. Michnowicz and Bethany Fuller shared high-blocking honors with five each, and Michnowicz set a career high with four aces. Melissa Gmur went the distance at setter and dished out 45 assists.

    The Bears host No. 20 Wichita State (11-1, 2-0) Friday at 7 p.m.