SPRINGFIELD – For the second day in a row, Liberty escaped Hammons Student Center with a 3-2 win over the Missouri State volleyball team, this time handing the Bears a five-set defeat on Senior Day.
 
The Flames (20-7, 8-6 Conference USA) won by set scores of 23-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21, 15-9. The Bears fell to 10-15 and 5-9 in league play but stayed one match ahead of Delaware in the standings for the final CUSA Tournament spot with two matches remaining on the schedule.
 
Despite the loss, the Bears ended the home portion of the year with an 8-5 record, finishing above .500 at Hammons Student Center for the 45^th time in 49 seasons in the facility.
 
The Bears swung the first set in their favor with an 8-0 run to a 21-16 lead, and Liberty responded by hitting .483 in the second for a wire-to-wire victory.
 
Missouri State steadily grew its lead to 19-13 in the third set and held off a late LU charge, with Brooke Eslinger serving two of MSU's four aces to help tip the scales in the Bears' favor.
 
The Flames rallied with a late 5-0 run in the fourth for a 22-19 lead that stood up, then jumped ahead 7-2 in the fifth set on the way to hitting .556 with 12 kills and two errors in the deciding period.
 
Seniors Rossana Papa and Lizanyela Lopez each made major contributions in their final home match. Papa had 24 assists and seven digs, while Lopez hit .345 with 11 kills and four blocks.
 
Peyton McKee led the offense with 14 kills and fellow freshman Chloe Judd scored a career-high 12 kills on .750 hitting. Hannah Garder finished with nine kills, 26 assists and 10 digs. Eslinger led MoState with 19 digs, and the Bears served 10 aces.
 
Liberty led 71-59 in total kills, .291-.219 in hitting percentage, 89-72 in digs and 14-6 in blocks.
 
Missouri State closes the regular season Nov. 14 and 15 at Middle Tennessee (10-15, 2-11).