Incarnate Word Boxscore | Milwaukee Boxscore

SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State closed the University Plaza/Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational Saturday with a pair of sweeps, topping Incarnate Word (1-6) by scores of 25-20, 25-10 and 25-20 in the afternoon match before beating Milwaukee (4-3) 25-19, 25-15 and 25-23 in the nightcap.

The Bears went 3-1 to finish second in the event and improve to 4-3 overall, and junior setter Kinsey McCarter and freshman outside hitter Lily Johnson were selected to the all-tournament team. The remainder of the all-tournament squad included Heather Boyan (MVP), Georgia O'Connell and Jessica Lucas of Western Kentucky, ORU's Sara Pope and Milwaukee's Julie Kolinske.

Missouri State visits Kansas State (5-1) at 7 p.m. Monday.

Incarnate Word Recap (Won 25-20, 25-10, 25-20)

The Bears hit .317 as a team and the defense limited Incarnate Word to a .073 attack efficiency in the match. Johnson hammered 15 kills and McCarter posted a double-double with 31 assists and 10 digs. The Bears also held an 8-1 advantage in blocking, while Simone House and Olivia Brand combined for 17 kills and one error.

Missouri State trailed 19-18 in the first set before closing out the Cardinals with the help of a 5-0 run that including two kills and a block from House. The Bears took advantage of eight UIW attack errors in the second period, and MSU led comfortably after Elise Munroe's ace capped a 6-0 run for a 9-4 lead.

An early 5-0 run in the third set put Missouri State ahead 11-7, but the Bears found themselves in a 15-14 hole before Beaty's kill started a 4-0 run to an 18-15 advantage. The Cardinals twice pulled within a point, but MSU surrendered just two more points after leading 19-18.

Milwaukee Recap (25-19, 25-15, 25-23)

Missouri State hit a blistering .378 and amassed 51 kills in just three sets against the Panthers. Brand led the way with 13 kills on .320 hitting, Lynsey Wright added 12 and hit .400, while Johnson pitched in 11 and hit .310. House needed just nine attempts to put away eight kills, while Beaty had six kills and five blocks. McCarter dished out 46 assists and Maddy Hogan scooped 12 digs.

The Bears never trailed in the first set and forced 10 UWM attack errors. From a 13-13 tie, Wright landed a kill and participated in two blocks before Johnson's ace made it 17-13 in favor of the home team. Another 4-0 run put the set away after Milwaukee closed to 18-16.

Over the next two sets, the Bears piled up an incredible 41 kills and hit .466. Wright and Johnson each had five kills in the second set as Missouri State led wire-to-wire, and Brand added seven in the third set, including four after the Bears trailed 21-20. The evenly-contested final set was tied at 23-all when Brand's kill and a block by Beaty and House gave the Bears the win.

#MSUBears