DES MOINES, Iowa -- Behind a career-high 33 kills from junior All-American Lily Johnson, the Missouri State volleyball team escaped the Knapp Center with a 3-2 (23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 18-25, 15-10) victory against Drake Saturday evening.

Johnson's 33 kills - on .368 hitting - were the most for a Bear since Amanda Omar posted that total against Southern Illinois in 1998, as well as the sixth-best single-match total in school history, and moved her into a tie with Erin Murphy for fifth on MSU's career kills list with 1,432. It was also Johnson's third consecutive match with at least 25 kills, a feat last accomplished by Michelle Witzke in 1997.

Freshman Aubrey Cheffey added a career-high 12 kills of her own as the Bears (11-7, 2-2 Missouri Valley Conference) went to five sets for a school-record fourth consecutive match. Drake fell to 10-8 overall and 1-3 in league play.
    
Missouri State let a 22-21 lead slip away in the first set, but hit a combined .329 over the next two periods to claim a 2-1 match lead. Drake then took advantage of 11 MSU attack errors in the fourth set to extend the match.

Johnson took over with eight kills in the fifth set, including six after the Bears trailed 6-5. The Bears had 12 kills on 20 swings and hit .450 in the final period, with Cheffey adding three winners to cap her career night.

Freshman setter Daniele Messa logged career-highs of 54 assists and 20 digs, the first 50/20 match at MSU since All-American Carly Thomas did it in 2013, and just the 17th such match in school history.

Missouri State held significant leads in total kills (68-52), blocks (11-5) and hitting percentage (.223-.152). Simone House and MacKenzie Irwin recorded five blocks apiece, and Emily Butters added 17 digs.

The Bears will play their next three matches at home, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. against Bradley.