LAWRENCE, Kan. – Missouri State topped Albany in five sets Friday to extend the Bears' win streak to six matches, the team's longest since 2017, before falling to host Kansas in straight sets in the nightcap at the Jayhawk Classic inside Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

The Bears move to 8-3 overall ahead of Saturday's 1 p.m. non-conference finale against Kansas City (9-2) in Lawrence.

Albany Recap (MSU won 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 19-25, 15-13)
The Bears rallied from an 8-3 deficit in the fifth set to extend their win streak to six matches, getting a career-high 12 kills and nine blocks from Azyah Green in a match that saw the two teams combine for 56 attack errors and 24 service miscues.

Missouri State looked as if it might cruise to a fifth consecutive sweep after opening up a 17-3 lead to begin the match, only to see the Great Danes (3-8) battle back to a four-point final margin in the opening period.

Albany ended MSU's set win streak at 15 – the longest since 2010 – in the second, overcoming deficits of 12-6 and 20-16 to even the match.

The Bears jumped to an 8-2 lead in the third, then had to close on a 4-0 run for the win and led only once at 4-3 in the fourth as UAlbany forced a fifth set.

In the final period, the Great Danes pulled ahead 8-3 before Missouri State's furious comeback began with four straight kills by four different players for 8-7. One of Manuela Ibarguen's three aces tied the score at 11-all, and the Bears grabbed a 12-11 lead on a block by Brooklyn Cink and La'Treva Kennedy. The teams sided out to 14-13, with kills from Amelia Flynn and Green providing the Bears' points before those two combined for the winning block.

Cink had 11 kills to join Green in double figures, Morgan Sprague had 40 assists and five blocks, and Kate Owen led the Bears with 14 digs. MSU's 13 blocks were a season high. The Great Danes held a 63-51 advantage in kills but committed 30 attack errors and 14 service errors.

Kansas Recap (KU won 25-22, 25-16, 25-18)
Missouri State spotted the Jayhawks (7-3) early leads in each set while hitting a season-low .068 compared to KU's .330 figure, a season-high for an MSU opponent.

Kansas jumped ahead 7-2 in the first set, 8-3 in the second and 8-0 in the third, keeping the margin at two points or greater in each period after the quick starts.

Flynn led the MSU offense with seven kills, Teagan Polcovich added 12 digs and Azyah Green had three blocks. KU led 49-26 in kills, 53-36 in digs and 10-4 in blocking while the Bears owned a 3-1 advantage in aces.