TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Missouri State finished the first half of the Missouri Valley Conference schedule Saturday with a 25-18, 25-20, 25-15 win at Indiana State for the Bears' seventh consecutive victory overall.

MSU (16-7, 7-2) reached the midway point of the league slate in second place while in the midst of its third separate winning streak of at least seven matches since the beginning of last November. The Sycamores fell to 8-12 overall and 2-6 in conference matches.

Junior Lily Johnson reached yet another milestone on the night, finishing with 15 kills to become the fourth player in school history with 1,500 career kills and passing Joleen Meservy for the No. 3 spot on the career list with 1,514 winners. Lynsey Wright needed just 14 swings to tally 11 kills and hit .714, while Lauren Boone had eight kills and Simone House hit .750 with six kills to help the Bears hit .394 as a team.

MSU trailed only at 1-0 in the first set, and using a 3-0 run finished by a Tatum Marshall ace to lead 6-3. The Bears went ahead 16-10 on a Johnson kill, and went on a 5-0 run to lead 22-15 after the Sycamores pulled within two scores at 17-15. Johnson had seven of MSU's 16 kills as the Bears hit .400 as a team.

Missouri State maintained its torrid offensive pace in the second set, adding 20 more kills on a .432 hitting percentage. Despite their efficiency, the Bears did not gain their first lead until back-to-back Boone kills made it 14-13, and MSU would not trail again, leading by at least two points after a Wright kill made the score 18-16. 

The Bears closed the final set on an 11-1 run, pulling away from a 14-all tie and overcoming a 12-11 deficit. Wright participated in all four of MSU's blocks in the set.

MSU owned a 48-30 lead in total kills and 8-3 advantage in aces with Johnson and Emily Butters serving three apiece. Butters added a team-high 10 digs, and Daniele Messa handed out 41 assists.

Missouri State opens the second half of conference play with a 7 p.m. Friday match at league-leading Wichita State.