JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Missouri State tallied 51 kills, including 16 from freshman Peyton McKee, to claim its first Conference USA volleyball victory here Saturday afternoon, 22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-23 over Jacksonville State.
 
The Bears (6-11, 1-5 CUSA) avenged a narrow five-set defeat to the Gamecocks the previous evening behind a gutsy team effort. MoState topped 50 kills for just the sixth time this season and erased an early 1-0 deficit with elevated passing, defense and serving to complement a .263 attack percentage.
 
Likewise, the club's eight service aces marked its most in the past month.
 
Even with everything going its way statistically, the Bears had to rally in the fourth game to secure victory. A 10-1 Jacksonville State run erased a 15-9 MSU advantage and gave the home club a 19-16 edge late in the set. JSU kept a three-point lead through 21-18 before Missouri State banked back-to-back blocks by Lizanyela Lopez and McKee. Lopez then slammed home a Jacksonville State overpass to tie things up, 21-21.
 
The Bears never looked back, using a kill by Weinberg to inch ahead before an ace by Hannah Gardner and solo block from Lopez gave the Bears three match points. Finally, at 24-23, Jacksonville State served the ball into the net to seal the victory and give the Bears a 25-23 win in the decisive fourth set.
 
In the opening set, the Bears nearly erased an eight-point deficit, rallying from a 21-13 score to get within 23-22 after a Jax State blocking error. Weinberg had three kills on the run, with Chloe Judd coming off the bench to contribute a clutch attack and a block. But the home side, which hit .400 in the set, closed things out with a block and a kill, 25-22.
 
Missouri State used a 6-1 surge to close out the second set and claim a 25-21 decision. McKee led the surge with four kills and a solo block for the visiting squad. The Bears trailed 20-15 at one point and gained their first advantage of the stanza at 22-21 after a Jax State setting error opened the door for the comeback.
 
The Bears ran away with set three, stretching an 8-8 deadlock to a 15-9 advantage with a 7-1 push. Later, McKee stepped up again with a pair of pivotal kills, and Rilynn Finley sent two overheads to the deck, the second of which made it 23-17. Hannah Gardner closed things out, 25-18, with her seventh kill of the match.
 
Missouri State now embarks on a four-match home stand with upcoming CUSA matches against New Mexico State (Oct. 17-18) and LA Tech (Oct. 24-25) at Hammons Student Center.