Bears Fall to SFA in Five Sets; Gardner Logs Triple-Double

WICHITA, Kan. – Missouri State volleyball (1-1) fell in a five-set match to Southland Conference favorite Stephen F. Austin (1-2) in its second game at the Shocker Volleyball Classic hosted by Wichita State.

Hannah Gardner delivered a spectacular performance for the Bears, recording her third career triple-double with a career-high 19 kills, 23 assists and 14 digs. Gardner became the first Bear since Susan Ruch in 1989 with at least 14 in all three categories (K-A-D).

Freshman Halle Rillie posted her first career double-double with 29 assists and 17 digs.

After falling behind 2-1 in the match, the Bears came roaring back in the fourth set. With Stephen F. Austin leading 14-11, Mo State reeled off five straight points to grab a 16-14 advantage. Later with the set tied 18-18, the Bears went on a 7-0 scoring run to claim the point and send the match into a fifth set.

Mo State trailed by as many as three points in the early part of the fifth set, but rallied to take an 11-10 advantage. After the SFA timeout, the Ladyjacks scored the next four points to set themselves up with a match-point situation. Gardner scored the next point with a kill, but SFA finished off the match with a 15-12 win in set five.

The entire day was a back-and-forth battle for both squads. Stephen F. Austin got an early advantage after taking the first set by a score of 26-24. Mo State was initially on the verge of opening the day with a set win after the Bears appeared to take a 25-24 lead, but a review overturned the call to give the Ladyjacks the upper-hand and a set-point opportunity. Set one saw 17 ties and seven lead changes.

Missouri State bounced back in set two with a 25-23 win to tie the match. The Bears led by as many as three points on numerous occasions, but SFA pulled within striking distance late. With the Bears sitting on a set point, the Ladyjacks hit a service error to give Mo State the point. Stephen F. Austin owned the advantage for most of the third set that featured just five ties and two lead changes. The Bears pulled within two at 20-22 but the Ladyjacks scored the last three points for the set victory.

The Bears will face off against Wichita State at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. The game will stream on ESPN+.

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Bears Fall to SFA in Five Sets; Gardner Logs Triple-Double

Players Mentioned

Hannah Gardner

Halle Rillie

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