Bears Drop 3-1 Decision to No. 8 UCLA

Friday, September 2

Honolulu, Hawaii

9:45 PM

Missouri State University

2-3

#8 UCLA

5-0

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Missouri State	25	16	18	15	1
UCLA	21	25	25	25	3

Bears Drop 3-1 Decision to No. 8 UCLA

September 03, 2016 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: MSU Athletics Communications

HONOLULU -- Missouri State took the first set from UCLA Friday evening before falling in four sets to the eighth-ranked Bruins at the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. Set scores in favor of UCLA were 21-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-15.

The Bears (2-3) took a close opening frame, finishing on a 4-0 run after 13 ties and six lead changes. Lynsey Wright and Lauren Boone paired up for two key blocks, the first for an 11-7 lead and the second for 23-21. The Bruins (5-0) used a 7-1 run after the first block to lead 14-12, and the score was tied seven times to 21-all before MSU's final run. Wright ended the victory with a kill, and the Bears had 26 digs, including 11 from Emily Butters, to hold UCLA to .102 hitting.

Missouri State never led in the second set, but also did not trail by more than four points until the Bruins used a 5-0 run to go ahead 23-15. UCLA piled up 17 kills on .500 hitting in the set.

The Bruins jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the third set and the Bears nearly came back before UCLA closed on a 6-0 run. MSU closed to 14-10 on a Wright block, and Lily Johnson kills accounted for five consecutive MSU points as the Bears pulled from 18-13 to 19-18 before UCLA's ending run.

UCLA went ahead 5-1 in the fourth set and built a comfortable margin at 15-8 with a 4-0 run. Missouri State twice cut the margin to four points, the second time at 16-12 on a Boone kill, but the Bruins answered with a 9-3 run to close out the match.

The Bears out-blocked UCLA 9-8 and held a 3-1 lead in service aces, but trailed the Bruins in hitting percentage (.302-.122), kills (63-43) and digs (75-61).

Johnson paced MSU with 18 kills and 13 digs, and Ophoven added 10 kills. Butters finished with a season-high 25 digs, and Wright matched a career high with six blocks.

MSU concludes tournament play Saturday at 9:45 p.m. CT against Pacific (2-2).