MADISON, Wis. -- While freshman Lily Johnson continued her assault on the Missouri State record books Friday against Ball State, it was senior Andrea Beaty who came through with two kills and a pivotal block during a 4-0 run in the fifth set to help the Bears to a 3-2 win over the Cardinals at the HotelRED Invitational.

Missouri State (5-4) defeated the Mid-American Conference Western Division favorites by set scores of 26-24, 23-25, 25-27, 25-18 and 15-9, to hand head coach Melissa Stokes the 399th victory of her MSU career.

The Bears fell behind 4-2 in the fifth set before Johnson and Lynsey Wright each had a kill and combined for a block for a 6-4 lead. After the Cardinals (3-4) closed to 8-7, Simone House scored a kill and Beaty followed with two more before the pair stuffed a BSU attack for a 12-7 advantage. Ball State got no closer than three points from there as Tatum Marshall's third ace and Johnson's 26th kill sealed the match.

Johnson, meanwhile, continued to post incredible numbers as her 26 kills represented the most for a Missouri State player since Katie Werges had 28 in a 2004 match against Arkansas, and tied the MSU freshman record based on single-match results dating to 1987. Johnson is also the first Bear since Erin Murphy in 2000 to log consecutive matches with at least 20 kills, and the first since Amanda Omar in 1998 to have as many as 49 kills in a two-match span. Omar had 56.

Missouri State scored the final four points of the first set for the narrow win as Johnson hit back-to-back kills for a 24-all tie and had eight in the set. House and Kinsey McCarter then blocked BSU's Hayley Benson before Elise Munroe aced the Cardinals for the victory.

The Bears trailed the majority of the second set and lost after pulling even at 22-22, and nearly completed a comeback from a 16-9 deficit in the third after Wright's kill gave MSU a set point at 25-24.

Missouri State climbed out of an 8-3 hole in the fourth period, out-scoring the Cards 22-10 to close and force a fifth set. House and Beaty combined for two blocks around a BSU error for a 14-12 lead, and Beaty capped the 7-1 run with a kill for 18-13. The Bears held at least a four-point lead the rest of the way and hit .393 in the set.

Senior Maddy Hogan established a career high with 29 digs as four Bears reached double figures, and Missouri State out-hit the Cardinals .220-.142 and held a 64-55 lead in kills. MSU also served a season-high eight aces and got seven blocks from House. Wright and House registered 11 kills apiece.

The Bears play two matches Saturday, taking on No. 4 Wisconsin at noon and Miami (Fla.) at 5 p.m. MSU is 2-2 in its last four matches against top-10 opponents.

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