Aug. 25, 2012

Box Score

Tulsa boxscore
Western Michigan boxscore

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Missouri State volleyball team fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1995 Saturday after losing to Tulsa 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-22) and Western Michigan 3-1 (30-28, 22-25, 16-25, 20-25) to conclude the season's opening weekend of play in Norman, Okla.

The Bears competed well but fell just short against a field of three teams that qualified for the 2011 NCAA Tournament and finished last season rated 39th or better in the final NCAA RPI.

Missouri State (0-3) hosts the adidas Invitational at Hammons Student Center Aug. 30-Sept. 1. The Bears begin play with Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. Thursday and also play Dayton, Arkansas-Little Rock and Austin Peay in the event.

Tulsa Recap (Lost 25-22, 25-14, 25-22)
Tulsa (2-0) got 17 kills from two-time All-American Tyler Henderson and limited the Bears to 26 total kills and a .093 hitting percentage.

The teams combined to hit just .036 in a sloppy first set. Missouri State led for the vast majority of the period, only to let a 22-21 lead dissolve as the Golden Hurricane closed on a 4-0 run.

A 6-0 TU run provided separation in the second period, giving the Golden Hurricane a 16-7 advantage. Tulsa hit .314 in the set while the Bears mustered just 24 total attacks and eight kills.

The third period played out much like the first, featuring several ties and a late Tulsa run. The Bears led 20-18 when TU ripped off four consecutive points and ultimately finished the match on a 7-2 run.

Christine McCartney had nine kills to lead MSU for the second consecutive match, while no other Bear had more than four. Ashley Mason had 17 digs as MSU led 57-51 in that department, and the Bears out-blocked TU 9-7 with Kayln Vlasin leading the way with five stuffs.

Western Michigan Recap (Lost 30-28, 22-25, 16-25, 20-25)
Sophomore Kaitlin Jaeger had 17 kills against one error to hit .667, but the rest of the Missouri State offense sputtered in a four-set loss to the Western Michigan Broncos (1-2).

Jaeger and McCartney each had six kills and no errors in the Bears' 30-28 first-set victory, rallying the squad from a 21-15 deficit as MSU hit .311 in the period.

Missouri State dropped the second set after hitting .065, unable to finish off the frame from a 21-21 tie, then watched WMU record 15 kills in 30 swings in the third set.

The Bears overcame a 5-0 deficit to begin the fourth period, grabbing a 13-11 lead, but the Broncos answered with a 7-0 run to take control and close out the match.

McCartney finished with 15 kills and Olivia Brand added nine. Mason once again led MSU with 15 digs, and Vlasin added six blocks. WMU had two players with 18 kills and hit .245 to Missouri State's .181.