NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Missouri State hit a season-best .316 and had four players with at least 12 kills in Friday's Missouri Valley Conference opener at Belmont, good for a 3-1 (25-17, 25-20, 24-26, 25-9) victory in the Bruins' first match as an MVC member.

Maddy Bushnell, Iva Halacheva and Azyah Green each had 13 kills for the Bears (4-9, 1-0) and Manuela Ibarguen added 12, with all four players hitting .303 or higher. Green was error-free with a .565 efficiency and Halacheva hit .400.

Missouri State jumped to an 8-2 lead in the opening set and kept the lead throughout, then pulled away in the second on the strength of 19 kills on .444 hitting. The second period was tied nine times to 10-10 when Ibarguen's kill but the Bears up for good, while she and Halacheva each had five kills without an error in the set.

The Bears played catch-up for the duration of the third set after an 8-2 hole, and Bushnell nearly carried MSU to victory from a 23-19 deficit, notching three kills and a block from that point while tying the set at 23 and 24 before Belmont (4-10, 0-1) held on to extend the match.

It was all Missouri State in the final set, this time with a defensive effort that caused nine Belmont errors, five of those coming on MSU blocks as the Bears led wire to wire.

Sprague and Lucca Dunser served two aces apiece, and Kate Owen led the team with 14 digs. Ibarguen added 11 digs and a career-high five blocks while logging her sixth double-double of the year.

The Bears wrap up their league-opening weekend Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Murray State. The Racers (4-7, 0-1) lost 3-2 to Southern Illinois on Friday.