Oct. 27, 2012
Box Score
SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State handed visiting Northern Iowa just its second Missouri Valley Conference volleyball loss in 73 matches against MVC teams with a 23-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-16 victory Saturday at Hammons Student Center in Springfield.
Additionally, the Bears (13-12, 7-6 MVC) became just the second league team to beat UNI (20-7, 11-2) after losing the first set since the beginning of 2004, a stretch of 117 qualifying matches.
Each of the first three sets went down to the wire and were decided by the minimum two points. The teams recorded five blocks apiece and combined for 23 attack errors and a -.001 hitting percentage in the first period. Big runs on both sides were the story, with MSU going 10-1 to lead 22-17 before the Panthers closed on a 7-1 run.
The Bears continued to be strong at the net with three early blocks in the second set for a 6-3 lead. UNI tied the set several times before Andrea Beaty took over with five kills after a 16-16 tie, including the winner, while Amber Doolittle added six kills and two blocks of her own as MSU hit .277 in the period.
Missouri State controlled the third set all the way from Shelby Strang's ace for a 5-2 score to an eventual 20-14 advantage. From there, UNI went on an 8-0 run to lead 22-20 before Christine McCartney used one of her five kills in the set to stop the Panthers. Kinsey McCarter and Olivia Brand added kills for a 23-all tie before UNI missed an attack and McCarter and Doolittle teamed up for the winning block.
The fourth set was tied six times to a 7-7 score before the Bears took over, piling up 17 kills on .500 hitting in the set. Five players had at least three kills, with Brand converting all four of her swings to help the Bears hit .336 over the final three sets.
Missouri State parlayed that strong finish into a .221 attack efficiency for the match compared to .162 for UNI, and also led the visitors in kills (62-56), blocks (13-8) and digs (86-68).
Sophomore Maddy Hogan led MSU with a career-high 22 digs as five players reached double figures. McCarter notched her first career double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs, adding seven blocks as well. Doolittle matched a career high with nine blocks to go with 13 kills. Carly Thomas neared a second consecutive triple-double with eight kills, 47 assists and 19 digs.
The Bears return to action Friday (Nov. 2) with a 7 p.m. match at Illinois State.
