MIAMI, Fla. – Missouri State's run through the Conference USA Volleyball Championship came to an end Saturday afternoon with host and fourth-seeded FIU claiming a 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-19) victory at Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
 
The No. 8 Bears end the year with a 12-17 record but a bright future, with an upset of top-seeded UTEP in the quarterfinal round and 80 percent of the offensive production coming from freshmen and sophomores highlighting the 2025 campaign.
 
The Panthers (20-11) seized momentum with early runs in each set on the way to hitting .312 with 47 kills compared to 38 kills on a .215 efficiency for the Bears.
 
FIU's 7-0 run helped the Panthers gain a 13-5 lead in the first, and Lexi Weinberg kills twice closed the Bears within a point at 15-14 and 16-15 before the home team scored three in a row to pull away. Weinberg hit .318 in the match with team highs of eight kills and five blocks.
 
In the second, the Panthers scored five straight points to lead 7-3. MoState served for the tie nine times, including 24-23, but FIU sided out each time to hold on.
 
Another 5-0 run gave FIU an 8-4 advantage in the third, and the Bears got no closer than 19-17 after that.
 
Peyton McKee finished with seven kills for the Bears to increase her season total to 292, the 11^th-most by a freshman in school history. With four blocks, Lizanyela Lopez moved to 129 on the season, the second-most by a Bear in the 25-point scoring era (since 2008).
 
Freshman Hannah Gardner handed out 19 assists to cap a remarkable rookie season in which she recorded the first two triple-doubles by a freshman in school history on the way to CUSA All-Freshman Team honors.
 
Brooke Eslinger tallied a team-high 13 digs, and Rossana Papa has 10 assists while going 3-for-3 on the attack in her final match in the maroon and white.