Friday, October 9
Springfield
6:00 p.m.
Missouri State University
12-5,3-2CUSA
3
vs
1
Sam Houston
12-6,3-2CUSA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston | 23 | 26 | 21 | 15 | 1 |
| Missouri St. | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball Shuts Down Bearkats in 3-1 Win
October 09, 2026 | Volleyball
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State's defense shut down Sam Houston over the final two sets Friday evening to guide the Bears to a 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-21, 25-15) Conference USA victory over the visiting Bearkats at Hammons Student Center.
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The Bears (12-5, 3-2 CUSA) held the Bearkats (12-6, 3-2) to a .000 hitting figure in sets three and four, piling up 13.5 blocks and 80 digs in the contest. Brooke Eslinger scooped a season-high 26 digs while Chloe Judd (7) and Hannah Redrow (5) did much of the heavy lifting at the net.
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Offensively, freshman Halle Rillie served six aces, the most by a Bear since 2023, while Rilynn Finley's 20 kills marked the fifth time in her career with that many. Hannah Gardner added nine kills, 24 assists and 13 digs.
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Finley set the tone with nine kills in the opening set, the last making it 24-23 before she paired with Judd for the winning block. The Bearkats closed the second on a 4-0 run to pull even, and it was all Mo State after that.
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The Bears used early 6-0 runs in each of the final two sets to build leads and limited the Bearkats to 17 kills against 17 errors over that span to close out the match.
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Mo State held a slight 53-51 edge in kills but committed 11 fewer errors, and owned the .188-.103 advantage in attack efficiency in just its third match below .200 this season.
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The teams meet again at 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for home games can be purchased here, and Missouri State students are admitted free of charge.
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The Bears (12-5, 3-2 CUSA) held the Bearkats (12-6, 3-2) to a .000 hitting figure in sets three and four, piling up 13.5 blocks and 80 digs in the contest. Brooke Eslinger scooped a season-high 26 digs while Chloe Judd (7) and Hannah Redrow (5) did much of the heavy lifting at the net.
Â
Offensively, freshman Halle Rillie served six aces, the most by a Bear since 2023, while Rilynn Finley's 20 kills marked the fifth time in her career with that many. Hannah Gardner added nine kills, 24 assists and 13 digs.
Â
Finley set the tone with nine kills in the opening set, the last making it 24-23 before she paired with Judd for the winning block. The Bearkats closed the second on a 4-0 run to pull even, and it was all Mo State after that.
Â
The Bears used early 6-0 runs in each of the final two sets to build leads and limited the Bearkats to 17 kills against 17 errors over that span to close out the match.
Â
Mo State held a slight 53-51 edge in kills but committed 11 fewer errors, and owned the .188-.103 advantage in attack efficiency in just its third match below .200 this season.
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The teams meet again at 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for home games can be purchased here, and Missouri State students are admitted free of charge.
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#GoBears
Players Mentioned
Defensive Specialist
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Setter/Opposite
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
SHSU
MOST
Kills
51
53
Errors
33
22
Attempts
175
165
Hitting %
.103
.188
Points
64.0
72.5
Assists
49
50
Aces
2
6
Blocks
11
13.5
Game Leaders
Kills
20
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Friday, October 09
Friday, October 09
Friday, October 09
Friday, October 09
