SPRINGFIELD – On the strength of a season-high 72 kills and 13 total blocks, Missouri State began the second half of Missouri Valley Conference play Friday evening with a 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-10) victory over Bradley at Hammons Student Center.

Gerri Idos recorded a career-high dig total for the third consecutive match, finishing with 30 on the night, while freshman Brooklyn Cink totaled career highs of 15 kills and seven blocks.

Amelia Flynn had 20 kills for the sixth time in her career, Laynie Dake hit .406 with 15 kills and six blocks, and Chloe Rear narrowly missed a triple-double with 33 assists, 11 digs and seven kills.

The Bears (6-18, 3-7 MVC) piled up 12 kills in the fifth set alone, including six from Flynn, leading wire-to-wire after a 3-0 start, with Cink's 15th kill proving to be the winner.

Missouri State never trailed in the first set, and Bradley (9-11, 5-4) didn't earn its first lead of the match until 22-21 in the second, when it closed on a 10-2 run while the Bears were guilty of 12 attack errors.

The third set was tied at each point to 11-11, and Sarabi Worsley-Gilbert had three kills and a block in a 6-1 MSU run for a 16-12 lead. Bradley got as close as 18-16 before the Bears pulled away.

Bradley forced a deciding set after holding off a late Missouri State charge in the fourth. The Bears used a 3-0 run to tie the score at 23, only to see a service error and BU kill extend the match.

MSU finished with statistical leads of .195-.190 in hitting percentage, 72-54 in kills, 79-68 in digs and 5-2 in aces. The Braves held a 14-13 edge in blocking.

Missouri State is back in action Saturday at 6 p.m. against Illinois State. The Redbirds (13-8, 6-3) lost 3-1 Friday at Southern Illinois.