Sept. 3, 2011
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -
The Missouri State volleyball team finished play at the USD Invitational Saturday night with a 25-19, 25-16, 26-24 setback at the hands of host and 20th-ranked San Diego.
The teams traded big runs to open up the match with Missouri State (4-2) beginning on a 6-1 spurt and San Diego (6-0) answering with a 7-0 run to make the score 8-6. The Bears battled back to tie at 9-9 and overcame a three-point deficit for a 14-all deadlock, but could not get over the hump as USD pulled ahead 19-16 to force the Bears to use a timeout. The Toreros scored the next two points out of the stoppage and continued to sizzle offensively, hitting .500 with 16 kills in the set.
San Diego took advantage of four MSU errors to open the second set on a 5-1 run, but it was the Bears' turn to overcome an early deficit as Missouri State earned a 7-7 tie when Karen Rivatto's kill followed Shelby Strang's third ace of the match. Calli Norman hit a kill for an 8-8 tie before USD jumped back ahead 18-11. The Bears closed to four points at 20-16 before the home team finished the set on a 5-0 run.
The Bears scored the first two points of the third set and went up by three points at 8-5 on a Norman kill. San Diego cut the lead to one at 10-9 when Missouri State reeled off four straight points for a 14-9 advantage. The Toreros began to chip away at the lead from there, closing to one at 16-15 when the Bears responded again, using a Carly Thomas ace to lead 20-16. But San Diego repeated its second set closing performance from a 23-21 MSU lead, going on a 5-1 run that was only interrupted when Rivatto's kill spoiled a match point change.
The Toreros (6-0), which led the nation in kills per set a season ago, had 43 on .320 hitting compared to Missouri State's .126 attack efficiency. Rivatto and Norman shared high kill honors with eight while each earning a spot on the all-tournament team. Thomas, Strang and Ashley Mason led with seven digs. Christine McCartney played a part in both of MSU's team blocks.
Missouri State hosts the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational at Hammons Student Center Sept. 8-10. The Bears begin play with Kansas State at 7 p.m. Thursday and also play Arkansas State, Hofstra and South Dakota State in the event.
