SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Missouri State needed only four sets to register a season-high 70 kills against the Missouri Valley Conference’s top statistical defense Saturday in a 29-27, 28-30, 25-23, 25-20 volleyball victory over Wichita State at Hammons Student Center in Springfield.
The Bears (13-3, 4-1 MVC) had six players with at least eight kills led by freshman
Christine McCartney’s 19 and hit .240 against a WSU (10-4, 3-2) defense that entered the contest holding the opposition to a .125 attack effiency and had yet to allow an opponent to hit better than .194.
The teams combined to convert just three of 19 set point opportunities through the first three sets, with the Shockers failing to hold a 24-21 lead in the first set and nearly giving away the same advantage in the second.
The Bears went on a 4-0 run after trailing 24-21 in the first and then lost three set points themselves before a Camri Zwiesler attack error gave the Bears a 1-0 lead. Zwiesler did finish with 24 kills for WSU, a Missouri State opponent high this season.
The Shockers again failed make good on a 24-21 lead in the second set and lost three more set points as Missouri State eventually gained their own at 28-27. Wichita scored the final three points of the set to tie the match.
The third set saw the Bears struggle to convert with a 24-20 lead as the Shockers went on a 3-0 run before
Bethany Fuller tipped a kill over the WSU block for the win. Fuller again played big in the fourth set, teaming with
Calli Norman for a block and a 23-19 lead before her kill made it 24-20. Zwiesler sent the final attack wide for the Missouri State win.
Fuller and Norman had 11 kills apiece while Norman played a part in seven of the Bears’ 10 blocks. Junior
Kelley Michnowicz had 10 kills and hit .529, while
Shayla Patrick had nine kills on .412 hitting and
Cara Hackmann added eight.
Abby Padlock set a career high with 24 digs and Hackmann added 16. MSU’s two-setter offense led to 69 assists, 32 by
Melissa Gmur and 28 from
Carly Thomas.
The Bears are next in action Friday at 7 p.m. at second-place Creighton (10-6, 5-1).
