DES MOINES, Iowa – Azyah Green had a career-high 14 kills and the Missouri State defense finished with a season-best 88 digs, but a slow start and stiff Drake defense was too much for the volleyball Bears to overcome Friday in a 3-1 (25-20, 25-12, 23-25, 25-23) loss to the Bulldogs at the Knapp Center.

After hitting negative in each of the first two sets, the Bears' offense came alive in the third with 18 kills. Green and Amelia Flynn alternated kills for a 4-0 run and 19-18 lead, Missouri State went up 23-21 on a Maddy Bushnell winner, Brooklyn Cink added a kill for 24-22 and Bushnell finished it off two points later to keep the Bears' hopes alive.

The momentum carried into a 10-3 start for the Bears in the fourth set before Drake pulled even at 13-all and eventually grabbed a 17-15 lead. Two ties and two lead changes later the Bulldogs (9-12, 4-9 Missouri Valley Conference) held match point at 24-23, and a review upheld the call of no touch on an MSU attack error on the final point, giving the match to the Bulldogs.

Green hit .286 on her 14 kills, Cink added 12 kills and 16 digs, and Flynn finished with 11 kills and 21 digs. The senior moved up one spot to eighth on MSU's career kills list and jumped three spots on the digs chart to 17th.

Kennedee Anderson tallied 27 assists, 14 digs and a career-high four aces for her third double-double in four matches, and Kate Owen logged a team-high 22 digs.

The Bears fell to 14-12 overall and 5-9 in Valley matches. Missouri State led in kills, digs and aces, but hit just .052 thanks to 19 Drake blocks.

Missouri State visits UNI (10-16, 5-8) at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Panthers defeated SIU in four sets on Friday.