PEORIA, Ill. – After splitting the first two sets on Saturday, the Missouri State volleyball team was unable to overcome Bradley's offensive onslaught over the final two periods in a 3-1 (25-27, 25-20, 15-25, 14-25) loss to the Braves inside Renaissance Coliseum.

Bradley (5-8, 1-1 Missouri Valley Conference) hit .455 over the third and fourth sets, navigating the third frame without an attack error and committing just one in the fourth to pull away for the win.

The Bears (3-13, 0-2) rallied from six points down to get to the doorstep of a first set victory, but the Braves fought off a pair of MSU set points and closed with back-to-back kills for the 27-25 win. Trailing 14-8, Missouri State got three blocks from freshman Azyah Green during a tying 6-0 run and went ahead 17-15 after two BU errors. The score was tied eight times to 25-all, and the Bears served for the set at 24-23 and 25-24 but fell short despite six kills apiece from Aubrey Cheffey and Amelia Flynn.

MSU used an early 6-0 run to take the lead for good in the second set and grew its lead to 21-14 before a late charge by the home team. Bradley got as close as 22-20 when Cheffey stopped the BU comeback with a kill before pairing with Green for the winning block two points later.

Cheffey finished with a season-high 16 kills on .333 hitting to lead all players, and Flynn had 13 kills with a career-high three aces. Brooklyn Cink finished with eight kills in her collegiate debut. Leah Vokolek paced the Bears with 15 digs, and Green had four blocks. Chloe Rear added six kills, 34 assists and eight digs.

Bradley hit .281 compared to .141 for the Bears. Missouri State led 51-50 in total kills, but also committed 29 errors against 14 for the Braves.

Missouri State returns home Friday, Oct. 4, for a 6 p.m. match with MVC preseason favorite UNI.