Final Stats

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Missouri State overcame late deficits in two sets Monday afternoon to win its final non-conference volleyball match of the regular season by a 25-19, 25-19, 25-21 score at Southeast Missouri State.

With the victory, the Bears (12-7) secured a 16th consecutive non-losing season against non-conference opposition, while SEMO dropped to 6-14 with the loss.

The Bears recorded five blocks in the first set to build a 15-10 lead, including four from freshman Lauren Boone to establish a career high halfway through the opening period. The Redhawks twice cut MSU's lead to three points, but were met by kills from Boone and Andrea Beaty each time as the Bears pulled away for the six-point win.

Neither team led by more than two points in a tightly-contested second set until Beaty and Lily Johnson combined for a block to finish a 4-0 run and put the Bears ahead 19-16. Missouri State continued to extend its lead on the strength of 16 kills and a .303 hitting percentage in the set.

Missouri State grabbed an early 9-5 lead in the third set on an Olivia Brand kill and went up 16-12 on another from Beaty when the Redhawks charged back with a 5-0 run to lead 17-16. Another block from Beaty and Johnson swung the score in MSU's favor for good at 21-20, and Johnson closed the match with back-to-back aces.

MSU led the Redhawks in every statistical category, hitting .265 in the match compared to .188 for SEMO and recording more kills (41-36), aces (7-1), digs (44-41) and blocks (8-7).

Brand led the Bears with 11 kills and Beaty added 10 on .562 hitting, the best attack efficiency for an MSU player this season with a 10-kill minimum. Johnson scooped 13 digs and added three aces, and fellow freshman Lynsey Wright had nine kills on .500 hitting. Beaty finished with a team-high five blocks, and Kinsey McCarter had 38 assists.

The Bears wrap up their first trip through the Missouri Valley Conference schedule this weekend with visits to Evansville on Friday and Southern Illinois on Saturday. Both matches begin at 7 p.m.