SPRINGFIELD – Visiting UNI handed Missouri State a 3-1 loss Friday at Hammons Student Center in a battle between two unbeaten teams in Missouri Valley Conference play.

The Panthers (10-6, 3-0) won by set scores of 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-23 on the strength of 61 total kills and a solid defensive effort, holding the Bears (5-10, 2-1) to .149 hitting as a team.

Manuela Ibarguen collected her eighth double-double of the season with 15 kills and 12 digs, Lucca Dunser added 11 kills and Azyah Green hit .615 with eight kills, no errors and eight blocks.

The first set was tied 14 times to 17-17 when the Bears took over and closed on an 8-2 run, with Ibarguen scoring late kills and Maddy Bushnell adding a pair of blocks in the closing stretch to help the Bears finish with five stuffs in the set and 13 in the match.

Missouri State nearly overcame a 22-15 deficit in the second thanks to a 6-0 run, but UNI scored the final three points and totaled 16 kills on .297 hitting in the period. The Panthers then jumped ahead 8-2 in the third and Missouri State never got closer than three points.

The Bears were poised to extend the match after Green tallied four blocks in an 8-0 run that put MSU ahead 18-14 in the fourth set. It was still a four-point lead at 21-17 after a Dunser kill before UNI took the lead at 23-22. An error tied the score at 23-all and a pair of kills by the Panthers gave UNI the match victory.

Morgan Sprague added her fifth double-double of the season with 35 kills, 12 digs and the Bears' only ace of the night. Kate Owen had 20 digs.

The Bears host Drake (11-5, 2-1) at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Bulldogs won 3-1 at Southern Illinois on Friday.