HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The Missouri State volleyball team improved its season record to 3-0 Saturday with a pair of sweeps to win the Hofstra/Asics Invitational. The Bears beat Canisius by scores of 25-16, 25-10 and 25-15 in the morning, and swept host Hofstra 25-12, 25-14, 25-17 in the tournament’s final contest.
Calli Norman was named tournament MVP, averaging 3.18 kills and 1.18 blocks per set while hitting .466 on the weekend.
Cara Hackmann joined her on the all-tournament team.
The Bears open a seven-match homestand Friday at 7:30 p.m. by hosting Texas A&M in the JQH Invitational at Hammons Student Center. Joining MSU and A&M in the three-day meet will be North Carolina, Ohio and Southeast Missouri State.
Canisius Recap
The Bears faced little resistance from the Golden Griffins of Canisius (1-1). Missouri State was challenged for the first half of the first and third sets and dominated the second for a 25-16, 25-10, 25-15 sweep.
Missouri State hit .395 as a team and committed just seven attack errors while holding the Griffs to a .129 attack efficiency. Norman led the Bears with 11 kills while hitting .381.
Christine McCartney hit .450 with 10 kills and 11 digs for MSU’s first double-double of the year, and Hackmann rounded out the balanced attack with nine kills and no errors to hit .450 in 20 attempts.
The Bears closed the first set with a 9-1 run to pull away after Canisius closed the score to 16-15, and dominated the second period from the outset, leading by as much as 23-6 and hitting .667 (17-1-24) as a team.
MSU trailed 11-7 in the third set but again used a big run, this time 11-1 to gain control at 18-12 on the way to an easy win.
Hofstra Recap Missouri State held Hofstra (0-3) to a negative hitting percentage in the tournament-capping 25-12, 25-14, 25-17 sweep.
Hofstra hit -.011 as a team and was blocked eight times by the Bears, including six by Norman, beginning with a -.207 showing in a first set where the Bears led by as many as 16 at 21-5.
The Bears quickly went ahead 15-5 in the second set and never let the Pride closer than seven, and faced a 3-0 deficit in the third before regaining the lead for good at 5-4.
Hackmann led the Bears with six kills and McCartney served up five aces.
