SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State hit .290 as a team behind standout offensive performances from Manuela Ibarguen and Deja Bickers to earn a 25-13, 25-21, 25-19 victory over Indiana State at Hammons Student Center.

With the victory, the Bears broke a tie with Bradley for the eighth and final spot in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, moving to 9-18 overall and 6-9 in league play with three matches remaining.

Ibarguen, Missouri State's lone departing senior whose career was celebrated with an early Senior Night ahead of the home finale on Nov. 16, hit .286 with 16 kills and 11 digs for her 15th double-double of the season. Bickers hit .480 with 13 kills, and the Bears led the Sycamores (3-10, 2-13) by a 43-33 margin in kills, .290-.133 in efficiency, 59-49 in digs, 7-3 in aces and 8-3 in blocks.

The Bears opened the match on a 7-0 run and led 20-4 in the opening set before ISU closed the gap late. Bickers, Ibarguen and Azyah Green combined to hit .462 with all 13 MSU kills in the opening period.

Missouri State got its first lead of the second set at 16-15 on a Jaycee Fixsen kill. Fixsen and Green teamed up for a block on the next point and the Bears never trailed again as Ibarguen piled up seven kills in the set.

Ibarguen was on serve during an 8-0 run in the third that put the Bears up 11-5, and the margin was four or greater for the duration of the set before Ibarguen fittingly ended it with her 16th kill to tie her career high for a three-setter.

Green had five blocks to pass former All-American Sabrina Apker for the No. 9 spot on the school's career list with 453, four players had either 10 or 11 digs, and three served multiple aces. Morgan Sprague handed out 31 assists

The Bears hit the road next weekend for matches at the top two teams in the standings, Drake and UNI.